In a groundbreaking development, the United Kingdom has witnessed its first-ever conviction for cryptocurrency blackmail, as three men have been sentenced to jail for impersonating police officers.
Thomas Green, Leonardo Sapiano, and Rayhan Miah, all 24 years old, made their way from London to the Spalding Common area on September 6, 2022, where their suspicious behaviour caught the attention of locals who promptly reported it to the police.
Law enforcement officers apprehended the trio while they were driving a blue Volkswagen Golf. Upon searching the vehicle, authorities discovered an imitation firearm, a taser, a baseball bat, and authentic-looking police uniforms. Astonishingly, it was revealed that the uniforms had been obtained through the use of false details from a production props company.
The police investigation uncovered that the three individuals had intended to deceive their targeted victim by impersonating police officers. Their ultimate objective was to employ blackmail and the fear of violence to coerce the victim into transferring a significant amount of cryptocurrency to their accounts.
Following an earlier guilty plea, the men appeared before Lincoln Crown Court on Friday to receive their sentences. Thomas Green and Leonardo Sapiano were handed a four-year and nine-month prison term for conspiring to blackmail, while Rayhan Miah received a three-year and two-month sentence for the same offence.
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