A Missouri crew allegedly travelled to Connecticut with air rifles and walkie-talkies to carry out a home invasion targeting a Bitcoin holder’s family, then abandoned the operation after becoming concerned about security cameras. A day later, a separate group of Florida men allegedly kidnapped the target’s parents in the Danbury area as part of the same broader cryptocurrency robbery scheme, federal prosecutors said.
- Federal prosecutors charge three Missouri men for a failed home invasion targeting a Connecticut resident holding 4,100 BTC.
- The broader criminal scheme targets $245 million in Bitcoin using multiple coordinated crews from St. Louis and Florida.
- Failed surveillance by the Missouri group precedes a violent parent kidnapping by a separate Florida crew within 24 hours.
Three St. Louis men, Sedric Louis, 32, John Davis, 34, and Martel Williams, 27, were charged this week with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery in connection with the failed Missouri operation. All three have pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say the case is linked to a wider scheme involving hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin and multiple crews recruited to target people connected to the cryptocurrency.
Missouri Crew Abandoned Planned Home Invasion
The Missouri defendants were allegedly recruited to carry out the Connecticut home invasion between Aug. 21 and Aug. 24, 2024. According to the indictment, they travelled from St. Louis to Connecticut, obtained rental vehicles and surveillance equipment, and spent about two days watching the intended target and his parents.
The group allegedly had air rifles and walkie-talkies and planned to enter the family’s home. Prosecutors said the men intended to threaten the occupants and force the Bitcoin holder to transfer cryptocurrency to accounts controlled by the organisers.
The operation was abandoned before the planned robbery was carried out. Prosecutors said concerns about security cameras and communication with other conspirators contributed to the Missouri group’s decision to leave Connecticut.
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→ Submit a Press ReleaseFlorida Crew Later Carried Out Kidnapping
The following day, a separate group of six Florida men allegedly carried out a violent carjacking and kidnapping involving the Bitcoin holder’s parents in the Danbury area. The six men have since pleaded guilty in connection with the case.
The Florida crew’s alleged actions came after the Missouri operation had already collapsed. The indictment places the two operations within the broader cryptocurrency theft scheme, but the Missouri defendants are charged over the conspiracy rather than the later kidnapping itself.
Federal prosecutors have previously pursued other defendants tied to the wider operation. Some alleged coordinators have also pleaded guilty.
Prosecutors Link Plot To Massive Bitcoin Theft
The broader case has been connected in court filings and federal investigations to the attempted theft of hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin. Some reports have put the cryptocurrency haul at about $245 million, or roughly 4,100 Bitcoin.
The Bitcoin holder at the center of the scheme has also been identified in related reporting as a person accused of stealing the cryptocurrency himself. That allegation forms part of the wider criminal background surrounding the case and is separate from the charges now facing the three Missouri men.
The Missouri defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, a federal offence that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Three Missouri Men Plead Not Guilty
A federal grand jury in New Haven returned a second superseding indictment on May 22, 2026, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. Federal prosecutors announced the charges on Aug. 4.
Louis and Davis remain detained, while Williams was released on bond, according to prosecutors. All three have denied the allegations through their not-guilty pleas.
The indictment does not establish that the defendants successfully obtained Bitcoin. Prosecutors allege the Missouri crew left Connecticut before carrying out the planned home invasion.
The subsequent kidnapping of the parents was carried out by a different group, according to the federal case. That distinction is central to the charges against the Missouri defendants and to the sequence described by prosecutors.
Cryptocurrency Theft Turns Into Multi-Crew Case
The case illustrates how prosecutors say the broader Bitcoin scheme involved separate teams assigned to different stages of the operation. The Missouri group allegedly conducted surveillance and prepared for a home invasion, while the Florida group later carried out the kidnapping.
Federal authorities have not alleged that every person involved in the wider cryptocurrency scheme participated in each operation. The charges against Louis, Davis and Williams concern the alleged Missouri conspiracy.
The case remains active in federal court. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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