🚨 From Bitcoin Bandit to Family Target: Teen Behind $245M Crypto Heist Pleads Guilty! 💰👨⚖️
🔑 Key Highlights:
🧑💻 Veer Chetal (19) led a crypto theft ring that stole ~4,100 BTC (≈$245M) in August 2024 via a tech support scam.
🎭 He and his crew impersonated Google, Yahoo, Gemini to hack a wealthy investor’s crypto wallet.
💎 Spent millions on luxury cars, clothes, jewelry, and jet-set travel.
🚐 Just 1 week later, six men kidnapped his parents, believing Chetal still had the crypto.
😱 They tied them up in a van—rescued thanks to witnesses and an off-duty FBI agent.
👮♂️ Several suspects have pleaded guilty in the kidnapping case, including ringleader James Schwab (22, Georgia) and another key figure, Diaz, who is set to go to trial.
🏠 September 2024: Feds raided Veer Chetal’s New Jersey apartment and his parents’ home in Danbury, Connecticut.
💼 ~$39M in crypto
💵 $500K+ in cash
🕶 Designer goods and watches seized
🧾 November 2024: Chetal pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering.
🤝 Agreed to testify against accomplices
💻 Admitted to 50+ other crypto hacks worth $3M
🚨 He violated his plea deal by stealing another $2M in crypto in October 2024.
⛓ Judge revoked his bail—he was sent back to custody.
⚖️ Veer Chetal, originally from India and not a U.S. citizen, faces 19–24 years in prison, heavy fines, asset forfeiture, and likely deportation.
🧑⚖️ As of June 20, 2025, his guilty plea was unsealed—cooperation ongoing as more indictments roll in.
📝 Conclusion
This case highlights the growing risks and complex dangers surrounding the cryptocurrency world—from massive cyber thefts to violent criminal acts like kidnapping. Veer Chetal’s fall from a high-profile crypto hacker to a defendant facing decades in prison is a stark reminder that the law is catching up with digital crime. Ongoing investigations aim to stop future cybercriminals and keep families safe from high-stakes crypto crimes.
