How A Former LAPD Police Officer Masterminded $350,000 Crypto Theft From a Teenager

Ex-LAPD officer accused of aiding a staged police raid to steal $350K in crypto from a teen appears court this week over charges.

A former LAPD officer now faces serious charges after allegedly staging a police raid on a teenager who held a large amount of crypto. 

The case drew strong attention because the group posed as officers, threatened violence and tried to steal $350,000 stored in a digital wallet.

Former officer accused of joining planned crypto raid

According to the Los Angeles Times, Prosecutors said the incident began after six men gathered at a home in the Hollywood Hills late last year. Their focus was on a 17-year-old who ran a crypto business from his apartment. 

The group included a man identified as a longtime felon and another who once served in the LAPD.

A court filing said 51-year-old Gabby Ben had past fraud convictions and had been deported to Israel. He returned to Los Angeles and lived between the city and Miami. According to prosecutors, he drove a rented Lamborghini Urus on the night of the raid.

The former officer, 38-year-old Eric Halem, served thirteen years in the LAPD. Prosecutors said he left the department in 2022 and his past work included a luxury car rental company and an app for remote actor auditions. 

Former associates told reporters he was even exploring a reality show idea before the arrest.

Prosecutors outline how the raid unfolded

Court records said that the group arrived at the teenager’s Koreatown apartment shortly after 2 a.m., two days after Christmas. 

They used the access code to enter the home while the teen was out, but his girlfriend was inside. Prosecutors said two members found her in a closet and restrained her using handcuffs tied to the LAPD.

The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Jane Brownstone, said all six men carried firearms. She said the group claimed to be officers serving a legal search warrant and Surveillance cameras captured parts of the incident.

The teenager returned home minutes later. Prosecutors said the intruders handcuffed him and ordered him to open his digital wallets. The teen opened an empty wallet to mislead them. 

Brownstone said the group rejected the bluff and threatened to shoot him in the foot. They also threatened to waterboard him and turned on a shower to pressure him.

The prosecutor said the teen then shared the code to a safe that held a hardware wallet containing about $350,000 worth of crypto. The group took only the wallet and left other valuables untouched. 

Surveillance footage showed them exiting the building about twenty-five minutes after they arrived.

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Courtroom focus remains on motive and planning

The court heard long discussions about the planning behind the raid. Prosecutors said the group targeted the teenager because he ran a profitable crypto business. 

They said the men met in the Hollywood Hills to prepare and travelled across Los Angeles in two luxury vehicles.

Defence lawyers tried to draw attention to the teenager’s finances. They raised questions about accountability and oversight within the fast-growing crypto sector. 

Meanwhile, prosecutors objected and said those details were not part of the case.

So far, the judge has kept the focus on the actions of the accused. Judge Wilson said the group’s tactics created danger for everyone involved, including the teenager and his girlfriend.

Overall, the teenager recovered the remaining items in his apartment and cooperated with investigators. The next court date has not been set, but both sides said they will continue to prepare for a full trial.

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