Brothers accused in $8 million cryptocurrency kidnapping heist targeting Minnesota family
Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, are facing federal charges.
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Minn. — The Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office said $8 million in cryptocurrency was stolen from a Minnesota family after they were held at gunpoint and zip-tied in their Washington County home on September 19. The case prompted Mahtomedi Public Schools to cancel its homecoming game as authorities searched for the suspects.
Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, are facing federal charges after authorities said the brothers drove from Texas to Minnesota to carry out the heist. It’s unclear why the family was targeted.
According to court documents, a third unidentified person was providing the brothers with information about the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts and how to access the funds. The father reportedly told investigators he believed his cryptocurrency account details may have been compromised during a data breach.
Minnesota attorney Dan Irwin of Irwin Law Office PLC specializes in crypto fraud but is not involved in this case. He said cryptocurrency crimes are becoming increasingly common.
“I feel extremely terrible for the victim in that. I don’t think that that’s the first time that this has happened in the world,” Irwin said. “If you have cryptocurrency, do not tell anybody that you actually have it.”
Irwin said he receives daily calls from people who believe they’ve been scammed. He emphasized that most victims never meet the scammers in person, and most communication occurs virtually. “My average consult for someone who has lost money is probably $150,000,” he said. “I have clients that have lost $1 million. I’ve had clients that have lost $3 million.”
He said the “pig butchering” scam is the most common he sees, where scammers build trust through personal or romantic relationships, lure victims into fake investment platforms and then continue extracting money under false pretenses.
To protect themselves, he said individuals should never share wallet access phrases or passwords, should ignore unsolicited messages about compromised accounts and avoid fake recovery services, which are often part of the original scam.
He warned that anyone can fall victim to cryptocurrency scams, which often use emotional manipulation and urged victims not to feel ashamed and to report scams to local authorities. Without reports, Irwin said the issue remains invisible and unaddressed.