A federal grand jury in San Francisco has indicted three Tennessee men on charges they posed as delivery drivers to rob cryptocurrency holders at gunpoint, forcing victims to hand over wallet seed phrases. The indictment, unsealed Monday, accuses Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker of conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with a string of home invasions across Los Angeles and the Bay Area between November 22 and December 31, 2025. At least four victims were targeted, and one person was forced to transfer $6.5 million in crypto to a wallet controlled by the group — the total stolen in the campaign.
How the scheme worked
According to the indictment, the men allegedly showed up at victims' homes wearing delivery uniforms, then used threats of violence to demand seed phrases — the master keys to crypto wallets. Once spoken under duress, a seed phrase gives complete control over a wallet, and there's no way to reverse a transfer. The attacks follow a pattern known in law enforcement circles as a “wrench attack,” named after the crude threat of physical harm. TRM Labs, a blockchain analytics firm, notes these attacks have grown more common as personal data becomes easier to find online.
Arrests and court dates
All three men were arrested back in December 2025. Armstrong and Rucker are scheduled to appear in court on May 12, 2026 — just a day after the indictment was unsealed. Chindavanh's appearance is set for June 26, 2026. Craig Missakian, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, called the scheme “brazen, violent, and dangerous.” The case is being handled by the FBI's San Francisco field office, and prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of the stolen cryptocurrency.
Wrench attacks on the rise globally
This isn't an isolated case. French authorities charged 88 people in April 2026 in connection with similar attacks on cryptocurrency owners, suggesting the tactic is becoming a global problem. The key vulnerability isn't code — it's the fact that a human with a gun can force another human to unlock a wallet. Unlike bank accounts, crypto transactions are irreversible, making holders with large balances tempting targets. The indictment offers a stark reminder that crypto's promise of self-custody comes with a physical security risk that traditional finance doesn't have.
The next concrete step is the court appearances this week and next month. For now, the defendants remain in custody, and the investigation is ongoing.
