In a disturbing turn of events in Chicago, a family of three and their nanny were abducted at gunpoint by a group of six armed men.
This harrowing incident lasted for five days, during which the captors demanded a staggering ransom of $15 million, to be paid in various cryptocurrencies.
Abduction Details
According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, the kidnappers approached the family’s townhouse claiming they had accidentally damaged the garage door.
Once they managed to enter, they brandished firearms, forcing their way in with intimidation.
The victims were then forced into a van and driven approximately an hour away to an Airbnb for one night, only to be moved again the very next day.
Throughout their captivity, the kidnappers insisted on receiving payments in Bitcoin, Ether, and other digital currencies, intimidating the hostages with threats of violence should they refuse to comply.
Emergency Response
Amid the trauma, one family member found a way to reach out for help.
Using WeChat, a Chinese messaging app, he alerted his father that they were being held captive.
Fortunately, on November 1, they were finally released.
After regaining their freedom, the family made their way to a nearby dry cleaner where they called an Uber to a local hospital.
While the kidnappers claimed to have successfully secured $15 million in cryptocurrency, federal authorities have thus far tracked only about $6 million of that sum.
On December 13, charges were officially filed against the six individuals implicated in the crime.
Zehuan Wei, a 34-year-old man, was apprehended on January 17 while attempting to re-enter the United States from Mexico.
The remaining suspects are believed to have fled to China after Wei’s arrest.
Investigative Efforts
Before the indictments, investigators diligently pieced together evidence.
They examined surveillance footage from the Airbnb where the victims had been held and analyzed cryptocurrency wallets.
Additionally, they inspected a white Ford van linked to the incident, collecting DNA samples from a Chrysler Pacifica rented by Wei.
Law enforcement compared the surveillance images with photos of the suspects obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and utilized driver’s license pictures to identify the other suspects.
Reports indicate that at least two of the victims recognized several alleged kidnappers during a photo lineup, underscoring the investigative efforts undertaken to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Source: Cointelegraph
