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Six Men Charged With Kidnapping And Crypto Ransom

Six men have been charged in connection with the kidnapping of a family of three and their nanny in Chicago, during which they were forced to transfer $15 million in cryptocurrencies.

Haider Jamal
February 13, 2025

A Disturbing Ordeal

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, the kidnappers tricked the family by claiming to have damaged their garage door before forcing their way in at gunpoint. The victims were taken to an Airbnb and then moved to another house the next day, where the kidnappers demanded ransom in BTC, ETH, and other cryptocurrencies, threatening their lives.

The victims were held for five days before one managed to alert a relative via WeChat. They were released on November 1st, walking to a dry cleaner and later calling an Uber to a hospital.

Still At Large

While the ransom was reportedly $15 million, U.S. authorities have only traced $6 million in cryptocurrency transfers. Six suspects were charged in December, with only 34-year-old Zehuan Wei arrested on January 17th. The others—Fan Zhang, Huajing Yan, Shengnan Jiang, Shiqiang Lian, and Ye Cao—are believed to have fled to China.

Evidence gathered included surveillance footage, cryptocurrency wallet records, and DNA from a rented vehicle. Two victims identified some of the kidnappers in a photo lineup.

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Haider Jamal

Content Strategist

Haider is a fintech enthusiast and Content Strategist at CryptoWeekly with over four years in the Crypto & Blockchain industry. He began his writing journey with a blog after graduating from Monash University Malaysia. Passionate about storytelling and content creation, he blends creativity with insight. Haider is driven to grow professionally while always seeking the next big idea.