Five Convicted in London Crypto Millionaire Kidnapping and Torture Case
In brief
- Five men convicted of blackmail and false imprisonment of two French crypto millionaires held 52 hours in East London
- Two defendants also convicted of conspiracy to blackmail; three of false imprisonment or related charges
- Victims stripped, bound, beaten, and had boiling water poured over them; transferred $30,000 after $150,000 demand
- Police secured convictions without victim testimony after both declined to appear, citing fear of gang
- Case reflects broader wave of wrench attacks targeting crypto holders; French prosecutors charged 88 people
The Attack and Extortion
Gerson Borges and Mohamed Osman were convicted of conspiracy to blackmail and false imprisonment. William Adebski and Julius George were convicted of false imprisonment. Isaac Bakoya admitted false imprisonment. A sixth defendant, Yasir Mohamed, was arrested at the victims' Earl's Court Airbnb but jurors cleared him of false imprisonment; they couldn't reach agreement on conspiracy to blackmail.
The violence was severe. Jurors heard the pair were stripped, bound with tape and cable ties, beaten, and had boiling water poured over them. They transferred $30,000 after the gang demanded $150,000. Adel Sineen admitted dangerous driving after crashing the gang's car into a lamppost during a 70 mph pursuit and was cleared of false imprisonment.
How Police Solved It Without Victim Testimony
Both victims declined to give evidence in person, saying they were too afraid of the gang. This posed a rare investigative challenge. Police traced the location of the flat through a friend's phone left inside the gang's car, allowing them to reconstruct the crime without relying on the victims' courtroom accounts.
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier said in a statement the case was "a rare example of a conviction of this kind being secured without victim testimony." The court heard that three of those found guilty had previous convictions for manslaughter, robbery and possessing a handgun with ammunition.
Part of a Wider Pattern
This case sits within a broader wave of violent crimes targeting cryptocurrency holders in Europe. CertiK verified 52 wrench attacks worldwide in the first half of 2026, up by a third from a year ago. Of those recorded by the blockchain security firm, 39 took place in Europe and 33 in France, with recorded exposure of $124.1 million.
London has seen multiple similar cases. Three teenagers were jailed over a $4.3 million knife-point robbery in Hoxton. Four were convicted in a London court over the kidnapping of a Belgian barber wrongly believed to hold a Bitcoin fortune. French prosecutors have charged 88 people over the wave of wrench attacks.
