Herts man recovering from crypto theft and kidnapping in London | Royston Crow

Herts man recovering from crypto theft and kidnapping in London

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A Hertfordshire man is "suffering both financially and emotionally" after he was kidnapped by four men who stole more than £10,000 from his bank and cryptocurrency accounts.

The 36-year-old was targeted by the group after a night out in Shoreditch, east London, on July 3, 2025.

He was befriended by the men and forced to return to his home, where he was assaulted and forced to hand over access to his financial accounts.

He later woke up with facial injuries and no memory of the incident, discovering the theft of cash, cryptocurrency, and personal items.

Four men have now been jailed following an investigation led by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit.

Brandon Stephenson, 25, of Bluebell Way, Ilford, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison.

Brandon Stephenson, 25 was sentenced to five years and six months in prison (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

Jason Kareem, 23, of Titmuss Avenue, south-east London, received a total of six years and six months, including five years for this offence and 18 months for breaching suspended sentences.

Jason Kareem, 23, was sentenced to six years and six months in prison (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

Jerome Denton, 39, of Waverley Crescent, south-east London, was jailed for six years.

Jerome Denton, 39 was sentenced to six years in prison. (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

Royan Campbell, 20, of Park Road, Ilford, was sentenced to three years and six months.

Royan Campbell, 20, was sentenced to three years and six months in prison (Image: Hertfordshire Constabulary)

A fifth man, Rayshon Keena, 20, of Bede Road, Romford, east London, was found guilty of money laundering offences.

He received a two-year community order, 150 days of unpaid work, and was ordered to pay £500 in compensation.

The victim gave a statement in court describing the long-term impact the crime has had on his life and mental health.

He said: "For a long time following, I had trouble sleeping, I would wake in the middle of the night with my mind racing and with the horrible feeling of strangers having ongoing access to my personal life, not knowing if the defendants had retrieved information from my phone of where my new residence was, where my family lived and where I worked.

"I can no longer fully enjoy being out in public without a persistent, unsettling reminder of what occurred.

"It has made me question who I am as a person and has resulted in me pulling back from previously having a very social and outgoing life.

"I openly avoid certain areas of London and have on several occasions turned down invitations in my personal and work life as a result.

"When I am with friends, they have noted my demeanour is much more reserved and subdued; this stems from an uneasy feeling I still have being around large groups and out of my comfort zone."

His partner, who discovered him injured at home the following day, also described ongoing distress.

She said the attack had left her "feeling exposed and vulnerable" and "on edge and apprehensive" whenever her partner was not at home.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Gardner said: "The offenders showed no remorse for putting the victim through a horrible ordeal in his own home, which should be a safe place, threatening him and using violence to force him to transfer funds from his personal accounts, stealing cash, cryptocurrency and watches.

"This traumatic ordeal has left lasting repercussions, leaving him suffering both financially and emotionally."

The court heard that police became involved after Coinbase, a cryptocurrency company, flagged unusual activity on the victim’s account.

Officers traced and identified the men before executing arrests and gathering evidence linking them to the attack.

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