Three Tennessee Men Indicted in $6 Million Cryptocurrency Robbery Spree

SAN FRANCISCO — A federal grand jury indicted Elijah Armstrong, Nino Chindavanh, and Jayden Rucker on four counts each for their alleged roles in a violent robbery spree that netted roughly $6 million in cryptocurrency from victims in the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

The indictment, returned in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and announced by the Justice Department on May 11, 2026, names the three Tennessee men as participants in a conspiracy that targeted cryptocurrency owners through robbery and kidnapping. The charges cover both completed acts and attempts during the spree.

Scope of the case centers on at least three identified victims whose cryptocurrency holdings were stolen at gunpoint or under threat of violence. The total value taken reached $6 million. The indictment alleges the men traveled from Tennessee to California to carry out the crimes, indicating a multi-state operation.

The charges shift the case from local police investigations to federal prosecution under the Hobbs Act, which criminalizes robbery that affects interstate commerce, and federal kidnapping statutes. Trial will now proceed in San Francisco federal court on a schedule set by the assigned judge, with arraignment dates to follow the unsealing of the indictment.

Downstream, the U.S. Attorney’s Office must disclose evidence to defense counsel under federal discovery rules, triggering pretrial motions practice. Conviction on the conspiracy counts alone carries maximum sentences of 20 years each, while kidnapping charges expose the defendants to potential life imprisonment.

The case also requires the FBI and local police departments in the Bay Area and Los Angeles to coordinate any remaining asset recovery or witness protection steps. Sentencing guidelines will incorporate the full $6 million loss amount and any violence enhancements once a jury returns verdicts.

This indictment forms part of a documented federal enforcement focus on cryptocurrency-related violent crime. The Justice Department has brought similar Hobbs Act and kidnapping charges in other districts against groups targeting digital-asset holders since 2022, when cryptocurrency thefts began drawing increased federal resources.