Missouri Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison for Danbury Crypto Kidnapping
Saif Faiq Sentenced to Four Years in Hartford Federal Court
A St. Louis, Missouri man was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday in connection with a violent 2024 kidnapping in Danbury that authorities say was tied to the theft of $245 million in cryptocurrency, NewsTimes reported. Saif Faiq, 23, was also ordered by U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David Sullivan to serve two years of supervised release during his hearing in Hartford federal court.
The Tech TL;DR:
- Saif Faiq received a four-year federal prison sentence for coordinating a violent Connecticut abduction.
- The kidnapping stemmed from a digital asset dispute involving the alleged theft of over 4,000 Bitcoin.
- Multiple co-conspirators and hired participants have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the carjacking and ransom scheme.
Masked Men Ambush Couple in Luxury SUV
The abduction unfolded on August 25, 2024, when a Danbury couple drove to look at a new home near Damia Drive in a blue Lamborghini Urus, according to police accounts cited by NewsTimes. A vehicle rammed the luxury SUV before a group of masked men attacked the couple with baseball bats and forced them into a van. Witnesses alerted local law enforcement, enabling officers to track the vehicle to Cowperthwaite Street. Responding officers located the victims bound with duct tape inside the van. Both victims suffered injuries requiring hospitalization. Initially, investigators believed the couple was targeted strictly for driving a high-end vehicle, but subsequent inquiries revealed the assault was a ransom operation linked to a digital asset heist.
Miami Altercation and Ransom Planning
Prosecutors traced the motive back to a digital currency theft involving more than 4,000 Bitcoin swindled from a Washington man. According to statements from U.S. Attorney David Sullivan, Faiq helped organize the abduction after a co-conspirator had an altercation with the victims’ son, Veer Chetal, at a Miami nightclub in July 2024. Investigators stated that the co-conspirator funded the operation, arranged lodging and transportation, and maintained contact with the physical kidnappers. Faiq recruited participants, traveled to Connecticut, helped plan the logistics, and participated in surveilling the victims.
Co-Conspirators, Guilty Pleas, and Sentences
Federal prosecutors identified two additional co-conspirators: James Schwab of Georgia and Adam Iza of California. According to court records, Iza pleaded guilty to the same offense as Faiq and received a 15-year prison sentence. The individuals who carried out the physical abduction were identified by authorities as Angel Borrero, 23; Reynaldo Diaz, 22; Anthony Pena, 23; Josue Romero, 26; Ricardo Estrada, 21; and Michael Rivas, 18. Officials confirmed that all six men pleaded guilty to offenses related to the carjacking and kidnapping. Meanwhile, Veer Chetal, the son of the targeted couple, pleaded guilty last year to fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges regarding the multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency theft.
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