A former Los Angeles Police Department officer was convicted by jury for physically

In late 2024, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer was convicted by jury for physically coercing cryptocurrency holders into transferring approximately $350,000 in Bitcoin. The perpetrator had used law enforcement training and credentials to execute targeted attacks—knowing how to avoid surveillance, how to apply psychological coercion without leaving typical criminal evidence, and how to identify and approach targets. The conviction was notable because the perpetrator's professional background made the attacks more sophisticated and harder to detect than typical street crime. Jameson Lopp cited the case as evidence that physical Bitcoin theft was professionalising.