Armed robbers posing as delivery drivers allegedly stole roughly $6.5 million in cryptocurrency from a California victim, federal prosecutors say — part of a broader, violent campaign targeting crypto holders across the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
A grand jury returned an indictment on March 31, 2026, charging three Tennessee men — Elijah Armstrong, 21; Nino Chindavanh, 21; and Jayden Rucker, 25 — with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California says the trio traveled from Tennessee and carried out a series of armed home invasions in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale and Los Angeles, specifically aiming to steal digital assets.
According to the indictment, the suspects posed as delivery workers to gain access or attempt entry to victims’ homes. Once inside, they allegedly used firearms, duct tape and zip ties to bind and assault victims. In at least one attack, a victim was forced at gunpoint to sign into their crypto accounts; one of the suspects then transferred about $6.5 million from those accounts to a wallet controlled by the co-conspirators.
“These individuals, as alleged, terrorized their victims in the hopes of stealing vast sums of cryptocurrency. The scheme was not only sophisticated, it was brazen, violent, and dangerous,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian. FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo added: “This was a calculated scheme involving robbery, kidnapping, and the theft of millions in cryptocurrency… The FBI will not tolerate criminals who travel into our communities with the intent to terrorize our citizens.”
The three were arrested in the Greater Los Angeles area in December 2025 and are currently in federal custody. Armstrong and Rucker recently appeared in court again; Chindavanh is scheduled for a status hearing on June 26.
The indictment highlights the physical-security risks crypto holders can face when attackers use coercion to obtain access to private keys or account credentials. The case is ongoing, and the defendants will remain before the federal court system as prosecutors pursue the charges.
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