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.
