Crypto Heist Gone Wrong — UK Extortionists Land in Jail

A ruthless gang of seven has been convicted of kidnapping, torture, and crypto extortion, forcing their victim to hand over £100,000 ($124,152) in digital assets.

Reports from the Warrington Guardian reveal that the man was subjected to repeated beatings and psychological terror for months, pressured into sending funds to his attackers.

The convicted criminals. Source: yahoo.com

It all started in January 2023, when one of the gang members knocked on the victim’s door, demanding crypto. Terrified, the man transferred the funds directly to Scott Armstrong, a known member of the group.

Weeks later, they came back. This time, David Povey and an accomplice pulled a knife, threatening him and demanding more money. Hoping to put an end to the nightmare, the victim gave in once again.

The Gang’s Attacks Get Even More Violent

By October 2023, the gang had taken its brutality to another level.

Gary Edwards lured the victim into an apartment, where he tied him up, beat him senseless, and locked him in a closet overnight. When the man couldn’t send the crypto right away, Cain Godiff didn’t hesitate—he threatened to kill him on the spot.

Only after hours of torture and beatings was the victim released—but not before emptying his wallet to meet the gang’s demands.

Days later, the violence escalated once more. The gang abducted their victim again, forced him inside a house, placed a bag over his head, and tormented him with renewed threats and brutality.

The final assault took place on November 30, 2023, when Edwards confronted the victim at a friend’s residence, forced him into a van, blindfolded him, and transported him to an unknown location.

On December 2, 2023, an anonymous tip to the police finally exposed the victim’s suffering.

Police arrived just in time to catch a glimpse of Carl Johnson fleeing the crime scene.

Inside, they found the victim—shaking, terrified, and pleading to be taken away.

His body bore burns, bruises, and deep wounds from repeated beatings. But the most horrifying discovery was the arsenal of torture weapons—a loaded gun, ammunition, a machete, knives, a baseball bat, and an assortment of ropes and zip ties, all used to restrain and torment him.

Justice Served — Manchester Gang Sentenced to Decades Behind Bars

On January 30, the Manchester Crown Court came down hard on the notorious gang:

• Jonathan Nunes, 24 – 20 years for attempted robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and weapon possession.
• David Povey, 34 – 20 years for robbery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, and attempted robbery.
• Luke Johnson, 25 – 13 years and 6 months for attempted robbery, false imprisonment, and kidnapping.
• Gary Edwards, 47 – 10 years and 2 months for attempted robbery.
• Cain Godiff, 33 – 7 years and 5 months.
• Carl Johnson, 35 – 3 years for assisting in the robbery.
• Scott Armstrong, 39 – 2 years and 4 months for laundering stolen funds.

Crypto executives and investors are becoming prime targets for criminals. A 2023 report from Chainalysis reveals that extortion gangs raked in over $1.1 billion in crypto payments last year alone.

Total ransom payments in crypto. Source: chainalysis.com

One of the latest high-profile cases took place on January 21, when David Balland, co-founder of Ledger, was kidnapped from his home in France. He was held hostage for 24 hours before police rescued him on January 22. The kidnappers' demand? A hefty ransom paid in cryptocurrency.