Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Florida Teens Face Adult Charges in $4M Las Vegas Crypto Kidnapping Case

Austin Fletcher remains jailed on $4M bail, Belal Ashraf is under electronic monitoring, and a third suspect is abroad as a June hearing approaches.

Image

Overview

  • Three Florida teenagers are accused of kidnapping a Las Vegas cryptocurrency investor at gunpoint and stealing $4 million in digital assets.
  • The victim was driven across state lines to a remote Arizona desert, threatened, and abandoned, forcing him to walk five miles to safety.
  • Austin Fletcher, 16, remains in custody with bail set at $4 million, while Belal Ashraf, also 16, has been released under electronic monitoring.
  • A third suspect, believed to have fled the United States, remains at large as authorities continue their investigation with FBI assistance.
  • The case highlights growing security risks for cryptocurrency holders and raises questions about trying juveniles as adults in violent crimes.