In a historic move, Scottish prosecutors have confiscated 23.5 Bitcoin from John Ross Rennie, a man linked to a 2020 robbery near Glasgow.
The incident marked Scotland's first case involving the tracing of stolen cryptocurrency.
The March 2020 home invasion in Blantyre saw three men, armed with a machete and a Toblerone bar, break into a property.
During the robbery, a victim was forced to transfer Bitcoin at knifepoint. One of the robbers used the Toblerone bar as a weapon, further adding an unusual element to the crime.
related reading：Leader of violent cryptocurrency theft ring convicted, could face life sentence
Prosecutors invoked proceeds of crime legislation to confiscate and convert the stolen Bitcoin into £109,601 ($144,017), which was aligned with the cryptocurrency's value at the time of the theft. Though the current value of 23.5 BTC far exceeds this amount, the conversion reflects the exchange rate during the robbery.
source：tradingview
Rennie, identified as the "technical brains" behind the operation, instructed how to transfer the Bitcoin.
He denied direct involvement, claiming he was coerced by a relative to deposit the funds into an exchange account.
However, the court deemed his role crucial and sentenced him to 150 hours of unpaid work and a six-month supervision order.
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AnaisBitcoin surpassed $100,000 on 5 December, driven by growing optimism following Trump’s pro-crypto appointments, including Paul Atkins for SEC Chair. This milestone signals investor confidence in a crypto-friendly future under Trump’s upcoming administration, which takes office on 20 January 2025.
Joy
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