Crypto Crooks - Muggers Steal $20K from Man Looking to Buy Crypto

Coin Deal Gone Bad 

The NYPD is searching for these men in connection with the beating and robbing of a man looking to buy cryptocurrency. -Photo by NYPD

By Dan Gesslein 

Manhattan Voice 

May 3, 2024 

MANHATTAN - And you thought Sam Bankman-Fried was the biggest crook in crypto. Two men beat and robbed a man of $20,000 cash at a Manhattan hotel who was looking to buy crypto, cops said. 

At around 5 pm on April 27, a 40-year-old man went to the Sonder Battery Park Hotel in Lower Manhattan. He had arranged the meeting with a man who claimed to have cryptocurrency. The two were to meet at the hotel to exchange the crypto for cash. 

The victim met a man in the lobby who was seen on surveillance video holding a tote bag. The two went to room 315 on the third floor to make the exchange. Instead, once inside the room, the “crypto seller” shoved the man onto the floor. 

Two additional men charged into the room and began punching the victim, cops said. They tied up the buyer with duct tape on his wrists, ankles and mouth.

 

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The muggers removed $20,000 cash from the victim’s bag and ran out of the hotel. 

The victim refused medical attention at the scene. The suspects were all caught on the hotel’s surveillance cameras. 

The first suspect is described as a male with a light complexion who is 5 foot 5, to 5 foot 7 and is between the ages of 18 and 22.  He was last seen wearing a blue baseball style cap, black bubble jacket, black pants and black and white sneakers.

The second suspect is described as a male with a light complexion who is 5 foot 5, to 5 foot 7 and is between the ages of 18 and 22. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, eyeglasses and black and white sneakers. 

The third suspect is described as a male with a light complexion who is 5 foot 5, to 5 foot 7 and is between the ages of 18 and 22. He was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, black sunglasses and black and white sneakers.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/ or on Twitter @NYPDTips. 

All calls are strictly confidential.