Missouri man sentenced to four years for role in Bitcoin-related kidnapping robbery conspiracy
Saif Faiq, 23, of St. Louis, Missouri, was sentenced on October 28, 2026, in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut, to four years in prison and two years of supervised release for charges related to an attempted robbery of Bitcoin and kidnapping in Danbury in August 2024.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut said that Faiq took part in recruiting participants, conducting surveillance and coordinating the conspiracy. On August 25, 2024, Danbury police arrested six Florida men after they violently took control of a Lamborghini Urus and kidnapped two passengers. Investigators found that the victims were the parents of individuals involved in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Bitcoin, and that the conspiracy aimed to seize part of the stolen Bitcoin.
Faiq was arrested on November 12, 2025, and on June 8, 2026, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, known as Hobbs Act robbery. His brother Adam Iza also pleaded guilty to the same charge. The case was tied to the theft of about 4,100 bitcoins involving the victims' son, Veer Chetal, who had previously pleaded guilty.
Original sources:
Title: Man sentenced in Danbury kidnapping tied to $245M crypto heist Publisher: News Times Publication date: 2026-10-28 URL: https://www.newstimes.com/news/article/saif-faiq-danbury-kidnapping-245m-crypto-heist-22499666.php Source type: media report Verification status: Full text read in this request, and cross-checked against prior statements from FOX 2 and the Department of Justice, verification date 2026-10-28 Supporting content: four-year prison sentence, supervised release and case background
Title: Missouri Man Admits Role in Cryptocurrency Robbery Scheme Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Connecticut Publication date: 2026-06-08 URL: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/missouri-man-admits-role-cryptocurrency-robbery-scheme Source type: official statement Verification status: Read in this request Supporting content: Faiq's role, the August 2024 incident and the victims' identities
ABAB AI Insight
Faiq and Iza coordinated recruiting Florida participants and moved against Veer Chetal's family after a conflict at a Miami nightclub. The six Florida men carried out the actual seizure and kidnapping, while Faiq was responsible for recruitment and surveillance. The case involved violent tactics aimed at a family connected to cryptocurrency assets.
Chetal pleaded guilty in November 2025 to stealing about 4,100 bitcoins, worth about $245 million at the time. Faiq had been detained since November 2025 until sentencing. The Justice Department had previously said that Faiq's co-conspirators had a conflict with the victims' son and provided funding and logistical support.
The sentence was based on conspiracy under the Hobbs Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The case was one of a series of violent crimes targeting families connected to crypto assets, and officials did not disclose specific details of how much Faiq personally profited.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Saif Faiq was sentenced to four years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in a 2024 Danbury Bitcoin-related kidnapping robbery conspiracy.
The case targeted the parents of a person accused of stealing about 4,100 bitcoins, and Faiq was responsible for recruitment and surveillance.