Former officer Eric Halem found guilty of involvement in a robbery that saw a victim targeted over a hard drive containing significant cryptocurrency assets.
Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Eric Halem was sentenced to life plus fifteen years in state prison after being convicted of his role in an armed robbery that took place in December 2024. The victim, a 17-year-old who was robbed of a hard drive containing $350,000 worth of bitcoin, was targeted in Koreatown.
Halem was sentenced by Judge Mildred Escobedo, who rejected his last-ditch request for a new trial on the grounds that the evidence presented at trial showed he acted out of “sheer and utter greed.”
The case involved an alleged kidnapping and robbery in which Halem played a significant role alongside other members of law enforcement. The robbery involved the theft of a hard drive containing $350,000 worth of Bitcoin. Halem is also facing pending charges in separate cases involving insurance fraud and another alleged crypto-related robbery.
Judge Escobedo’s ruling comes as a significant blow to Halems efforts to force a new trial, with the judge finding him guilty on multiple counts of kidnapping and robbery. The sentencing hearing saw witnesses testify about the events that led up to victim being targeted by the officers involved in the case. Despite his legal team’s efforts to challenge the evidence against him, Judge Escobedo ultimately determined there was no reasonable doubt as to Halem’s guilt.
Halem is expected to appeal the sentence, with a hearing scheduled for March 2027. It remains unclear what impact this verdict will have on his additional legal proceedings involving insurance fraud and another alleged crypto-related charges.
The case becomes a landmark moment in terms of prosecuting high-profile crimes committed through cryptocurrency networks.
Written by Steven Cook
Regulation Desk
