Man ‘kidnapped friend and stole $1.8M in virtual money’

A man from New Jersey had a friend kidnapped and held at gunpoint so he could steal $1.8million in virtual money the man, prosecutors have said.

Louis Meza, 35, arranged for a gunman to pick up his friend, who has not been identified, and point a pistol at him until he revealed his 24-word passphrase for the cryptocurrency Ether on November 4, officials have said. 

The victim revealed his code, and cryptocurrency investor and sales executive Meza was able to gain access to the man’s Ethereum wallet, where he allegedly stole $1.8million in the Bitcoin-rival currency.

Meza and his gunman are also accused of stealing the man’s actual wallet, house keys, and cellphone so they could access the man’s home.

Louis Meza (pictured), 35, was arrested after allegedly arranging the kidnapping of a friend so he could gain access to his cryptocurrency on Ether and steal $1.8million from the man

While the gunman was gathering the man’s items, the victim was able to escape and dial 911, according to Gizmodo.

The stolen $1.8million in ether showed up in Meza’s account the day after the kidnapping, Manhattan Defense Attorney Cy Vance Jr said.

The incident came after Meza arranged to meet his friend at his apartment for unknown reasons. Meza then called a car for the man.

The man believed the hired minivan was going to drive him to his destination, but instead the driver pulled out a gun and demanded his cryptocurrency passphrase.

It was then that the man’s other items were also stolen.

The stolen $1.8million in ether showed up in Meza's account the day after the kidnapping, Manhattan Defense Attorney Cy Vance Jr said 

The stolen $1.8million in ether showed up in Meza’s account the day after the kidnapping, Manhattan Defense Attorney Cy Vance Jr said 

The DA said in a statement: ‘Video surveillance later obtained from the victim’s apartment building showed Meza using the set of keys stolen from the victim to enter the victim’s apartment and then leave the apartment holding a box believed to contain the victim’s digital wallet.

‘Additional records reveal that soon after obtaining the victim’s digital wallet, the defendant then transferred approximately $1.8 million in Ether to his own personal account.’

Meza was arrested and charged with Grand Larceny in the First Degree, Kidnapping in the Second Degree, Robbery in the First Degree, Criminal Use of a Firearm in the First Degree, Computer Trespass and other offenses.

He has pleaded not guilty and held on a $1million bond or $500,000 cash bail.

His alleged accomplice has not yet been caught. His identity is not publicly known.

WHAT IS ETHEREUM? 

Ethereum is a technology first developed by Vitalik Buterin, a former Bitcoin programmer in 2013.

After Bitcoin, ether (the currency of Ethereum) is the second most valuable form of digital money.

Ethereum uses a decentralized payment network that allows payments to be sent anonymously across the internet without the need for a bank.  

Transactions made through Ethereum are stored in a blockchain, where they are visible for everyone else in the network to see. 

Since its launch in 2015, the value of the Ether has increased more than 2,300 per cent.

One ether is now worth £532 ($712).

 



Read more at DailyMail.co.uk