Man found guilty of involvement in Scotland’s first-ever Bitcoin robbery
Image source: https://i2-prod.glasgowlive.co.uk/incoming/article28023307.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/396720782_726067282880556_2158298537556885109_n.jpgA Lanarkshire man has been found guilty in Scotland’s first-ever cryptocurrency robbery case after police traced the movements of stolen Bitcoin worth up to £1.2 million.
John-Ross Rennie, 28, has been convicted of reset – a crime that involves knowingly possessing stolen property with the intent to retain it – of Bitcoin taken from a residence in Blantyre, Scotland, in March 2020.
Rennie, also known as John-Ross D’Alfonso, was not present at the robbery but was found guilty in the High Court in Glasgow after discovering that he had benefited from the theft. He was the “technical” mastermind behind the robbery.
A significant amount of Bitcoin was forcibly transferred to an account linked to Rennie before being moved elsewhere. Due to changing fees over the past three years, the estimated value fluctuated between £100,000 and £1.2 million.
A woman was injured during the robbery when she was struck repeatedly with a personalised Toblerone bar. The brother of the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also on the property that night. He told the court that he had been awakened by his dog barking before seeing a dark figure in his doorway.
He heard the intruders yell, “Don’t telephone the f***ing police.” They also told him to “switch the f***ing cash.” One of the robbers was said to be carrying a machete.
The gang then fled in a luxurious Audi car parked at the house, stealing Rolex watches and other valuables.
Meanwhile, Rennie, the supply driver, claimed to be unaware of the theft and had only learned about it afterwards. He claimed that a violent relative had forced him to deposit the funds into his Bitcoin wallet. He said this relative is someone “you cannot say no to.”
“This was a complex investigation and the first robbery in Scotland to involve tracing the movements of stolen cryptocurrency,” said Detective Inspector Craig Potter of Police Scotland’s Cyber Investigations unit.
“Specialist cybercrime officers were able to follow the movement of funds to show he had been responsible for the Bitcoin wallet which received the stolen funds.”
Rennie was cleared of assault and theft charges following the trial on the Excessive Court docket in Glasgow. He will be sentenced in Edinburgh later this month.
Crypto robbery: Not a new crime
Although this crypto robbery case is the first ever recorded in Scotland, it is not the first one in the UK.
The first cryptocurrency robbery can be traced back to 2019, when a Bitcoin trader in the village of Moulsford, Oxfordshire, was forced to transfer cryptocurrency by armed men who stormed his home. The victim was a 30-year-old former city broker who ran a digital currency company.
Masked men held the victim at gunpoint and tied up his 31-year-old girlfriend while putting their child in a stroller outside, the Mail reported. The man was reportedly forced to transfer the digital currency on a computer.
Police responded to the family’s home off Reading Road, near Cranford House School, at around 9:40 AM on January 22. Thames Valley Police reported that no one was seriously injured, so they believed this had been a targeted incident.
There were reports of several cryptocurrency robbers jailed in 2023, including four teenagers who stole £115,000 worth of cryptocurrency in a series of knifepoint robberies across the capital.
Since digital asset robberies can be as dangerous as physical asset robberies, high-value crypto traders should fortify their home security to prevent such crimes.
Consider installing access control pads on your gate or door, double locks on your windows and doors, CCTV cameras, and alarm systems to deter and protect against unwanted intruders.
Crypto robberies can be complex, which is why investing in the help of security companies like Marengo could be invaluable. They can create customised security plans based on your home’s weaknesses and enhance your computer security to prevent unauthorised transfers.
Source:
https://www.glasgowlive.co.uk/news/lanarkshire-man-convicted-first-ever-28023157
