Three Missouri men plead not guilty in Connecticut Bitcoin robbery conspiracy case

Three Missouri men have pleaded not guilty to a federal conspiracy charge tied to an alleged plan to steal Bitcoin through a Connecticut home invasion, in a case prosecutors link to a broader crypto theft and kidnapping investigation. Federal prosecutors said Sedric Louis, John Davis and Martel Williams were brought in to raid a Connecticut home, threaten the occupant and force a transfer of stolen Bitcoin into wallets controlled by the organizers. Investigators say the men drove to Connecticut over four days in late August 2024, rented vehicles, obtained air rifles and walkie-talkies, and spent two days watching the target and his parents before abandoning the plan because they feared they had been captured on security cameras and could not reach their co-conspirators. Prosecutors say a different crew from Florida later tried to carry out the robbery instead. The alleged plot is linked to the theft of 4,100 Bitcoin, worth about $245 million, from a Washington, D.C., resident in a social-engineering scam involving Veer Chetal and two others posing as support staff for Google and a crypto exchange. The three Missouri defendants were charged in a second superseding indictment returned on May 22, 2026, with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery under the Hobbs Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. Louis and Davis have been in custody since their June 25 arrests and pleaded not guilty on July 30, while Williams surrendered on July 17 and was released on bond. The case comes as physical attacks aimed at gaining access to digital assets continue to rise, with CertiK reporting 34 verified "wrench attacks" in the first four months of the year, up 41% from the same period in 2025, with losses of about $101 million.