Three men from Tennessee have been indicted for allegedly robbing a cryptocurrency owner of $6.5 million while posing as delivery drivers. The suspects, Elijah Armstrong, 21, Nino Chindavanh, 21, and Jayden Rucker, 25, face charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping.
According to the U.S. Attorney's office for the Northern District of California, the trio was arrested in the Greater Los Angeles area in December 2025 in connection with a series of violent robberies targeting cryptocurrency owners. The indictment, filed on March 31, 2026, alleges that the men conspired to kidnap and rob individuals in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles.
The defendants are accused of travelling from Tennessee to commit the crimes, posing as delivery men to gain access to victims' homes. They allegedly used firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to assault victims, including tying one up to force them to divulge account information. In one incident, a victim was forced at gunpoint to sign into their cryptocurrency accounts, and approximately $6.5 million was transferred to a wallet controlled by the co-conspirators.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian described the scheme as “sophisticated, brazen, violent, and dangerous.” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo stated that the indictment underscores the FBI's commitment to protecting communities from violent organised crime. Armstrong, Chindavanh, and Rucker remain in federal custody, with Armstrong and Rucker appearing in court on Tuesday and Chindavanh scheduled for a status hearing on June 26.
