Lamborghini Urus Kidnapping and carjacking of couple.
In August, six men reportedly planned a bold daytime abduction of a couple who were driving a Lamborghini Urus while looking for a new home in Connecticut. Approximately a month later, federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., revealed that they had apprehended two men for their involvement in a scheme to steal and launder more than $230 million in cryptocurrency.
It appears that the two incidents are indeed connected. On the evening of August 25, just before 6 p.m., several witnesses in Danbury, Connecticut, reported seeing six men dressed in dark clothing force a couple into the back of a white van after colliding with their Lamborghini. Police quickly pursued the van, which crashed about a mile down the road. The suspects fled the scene on foot, but officers managed to apprehend four of them shortly after.
Top, from left: Angel Borrero, Reynaldo Diaz and Ricardo Estrada. Bottom, from left: Anthony Pena, Michael Rivas and Josue Romero (Danbury Police Department).
Rescue
The couple was rescued from the van, where they were found with duct tape binding their arms and legs. The male victim had sustained head injuries from being punched and struck with a bat, as detailed in a probable cause arrest affidavit submitted to U.S. District Court in Connecticut.
The victims recounted their experience of driving when a Honda Civic crashed into them from behind, and a van suddenly cut in front of them. According to the police, the suspects exited their vehicles and “forcibly removed” the man and woman, pushing them into the van. The male victim was assaulted when he attempted to escape, as stated in the affidavit. As the suspects sped off, the couple soon heard the sound of sirens. One of the suspects reportedly shouted, “we are in deep trouble” and urged the driver to accelerate.
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Arrest
After apprehending four suspects in the van, investigators located the remaining two men at a rented house in Roxbury. Police also retrieved the stolen vehicle along with the female victim’s Coach wallet. The suspects, all hailing from Florida, have been identified as Angel Borrero, 23, Josue Alberto Romero, 26, Reynaldo Diaz, 20, Anthony Pena, 23, Michael Rivas, 18, and Ricardo Estrada, 21. They are facing both federal and state charges, including kidnapping, carjacking, and conspiracy.
Further investigation revealed that Borrero was the mastermind behind the operation, orchestrating the bold crime and financing the flights for all six suspects from Florida to New York, as stated in the complaint. Authorities discovered a group chat among the seven suspects that suggested they intended to commit additional crimes. Borrero allegedly texted his associates, “If this goes well, we’re heading to Cali next.” He also showed great confidence in their abilities, reportedly saying, “To be honest, this group is perfect for this.”
Video Evidence
Detectives also found video evidence that reportedly showed the men surveilling the couple outside their residence prior to their house-hunting trip. On September 19, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., revealed the indictment of 20-year-old Malone Lam from Miami and Los Angeles, along with 21-year-old Jeandiel Serrano, also from Los Angeles, for conspiring to steal and launder over $230 million in cryptocurrency from a victim. Federal prosecutors claim that Lam, Serrano, and unidentified accomplices began their theft of the cryptocurrency in August and funneled it through various exchanges.
“The conspirators fraudulently accessed the victim's cryptocurrency accounts and transferred the funds into their own control,” prosecutors stated. “They laundered the proceeds by moving the funds through different mixers and exchanges, utilizing ‘peel chains,’ pass-through wallets, and virtual private networks (VPNs) to conceal their true identities.”
Flights and Nightclubs
Lam and Serrano are said to have purchased international flight tickets, visited nightclubs, and acquired jewelry and designer handbags. According to Danbury police Det. Sgt. Steven Castrovinci, the couple was targeted due to their son's alleged connection to a cryptocurrency scheme. Castrovinci mentioned that their son had previously been a victim of "swatting calls" related to his gaming activities.
“When the kidnapping took place, we were unaware of the son's involvement, but we suspected it might be the case based on earlier police reports,” Castrovinci explained. The police intended to speak with the son, but the FBI reportedly advised them to refrain from doing so. “The FBI reached out to us and informed us of an ongoing investigation concerning the son related to a cryptocurrency theft,” he stated. “That’s how we became aware of the situation, although at that point, we still didn’t fully understand the extent of his involvement. We only knew there was an investigation into him regarding a crypto heist.”
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The Lamborghini Urus is a luxury SUV that boasts high performance, crafted by the renowned Italian carmaker Lamborghini. It made its debut in December 2017 as part of the 2018 model year lineup. The price of the 2024 Lamborghini Urus starts at $241,843 and goes up to $273,880 depending on the trim and options.
