Three Tennessee Men Indicted on Robbery, Kidnapping, and Conspiracy Charges for $6 Million Cryptocurrency Robbery Spree in Bay Area and Los Angeles 

May 12, 2026 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – A federal grand jury has indicted Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker on Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery, Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping, Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery, and Attempted Kidnapping relating to a violent robbery spree targeting cryptocurrency owners.  Armstrong and Rucker were arrested in Los Angeles on December 31, 2025, and Chindavanh was arrested on December 22, 2025, in Sunnyvale.  Chindavanh made his initial appearance in federal court in San Francisco on April 14, 2026, and Armstrong and Rucker made their initial appearances in federal court in San Francisco earlier on Monday.

Image by Ray Shrewsberry • Ray_Shrewsberry from Pixabay 

According to the indictment filed March 31, 2026, Armstrong, 21, of Tennessee; Chindavanh, 21, of Tennessee; and Rucker, 25, of Tennessee, are alleged to have conspired to kidnap and rob individuals in San Francisco, San Jose, Sunnyvale, and Los Angeles in efforts to steal cryptocurrency from the victims.  The defendants traveled from Tennessee to commit the alleged crimes and posed as delivery persons to gain access or attempt to gain access to the victims’ residences.  They then used firearms, duct tape, and zip ties to assault their victims, including by binding and restraining a victim in order to force him to divulge his account information.  In one of the incidents perpetrated by the conspiracy, the victim was forced at gunpoint to sign into his cryptocurrency accounts so that a co-conspirator could transfer approximately $6.5 million from his cryptocurrency accounts to a wallet controlled by the co-conspirators.

“These individuals, as alleged, terrorized their victims in the hopes of stealing vast sums of cryptocurrency. The scheme was not only sophisticated, it was brazen, violent, and dangerous,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “I want to commend our law enforcement partners for the quick work done in identifying and apprehending these individuals and assure the public that we will not let our guard down and continue to do all we can to ensure this does not happen again.”

“The indictment of these individuals underscores the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from violent and organized criminal activity. As alleged, this was a calculated scheme involving robbery, kidnapping, and the theft of millions in cryptocurrency - crimes that put innocent people at risk and threaten the sense of safety we all rely on,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo. “The FBI will not tolerate criminals who travel into our communities with the intent to terrorize our citizens. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners across the Bay Area and beyond to identify, investigate, and bring to justice anyone who believes they can exploit or endanger the public for personal gain.”

Armstrong, Chindavanh, and Rucker are currently in federal custody.  Armstrong and Rucker are next scheduled to appear on May 12, 2026, for appointment of counsel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixson.  Chindavanh is next scheduled to appear on June 26, 2026, for a status hearing before U.S. District Judge Trina L. Thompson.

An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), Attempted Hobbs Act Robbery in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951(a), and Attempted Kidnapping in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1201, as well as a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of Conspiracy to Commit Kidnapping.  Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey C. Davidson and Jared S. Buszin of the Organized Crime Section are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Yenni Weinberg.  The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, San Francisco Police Department, San Jose Police Department, Sunnyvale Police Department, and Los Angeles Police Department.

Source: DOJ Release