California teenagers have been charged with eight felonies each after allegedly staging a violent home invasion in Scottsdale, Arizona, to steal cryptocurrency believed to be worth about $66 million.
Court documents say the 16- and 17-year-olds drove more than 600 miles from San Luis Obispo County, posed as delivery drivers and forced their way into a Sweetwater Ranch home on January 31.
Prosecutors allege the pair restrained and assaulted two adults while demanding access to crypto holdings, before fleeing in a blue Subaru and being arrested nearby after police were called.
Investigators say the suspects told police they had been recruited and threatened by unknown organisers using the Signal messaging app, who allegedly provided the target address and $1,000 to fund the operation.
Police recovered delivery-style clothing, duct tape, zip ties and a 3D-printed gun with no ammunition, while court filings say the teens also stole a licence plate beforehand to disguise their vehicle.
The case has been cited as the first US crypto-related “wrench attack” recorded in 2026, part of a global rise in physical assaults aimed at forcing holders to surrender digital assets.
Both suspects are expected to be tried as adults in Arizona, with investigators yet to identify the alleged remote coordinators behind the attack.