Key Takeaways
- A French crypto holder was sentenced to 30 months in prison after firing a gun at his attempted kidnappers.
- The prosecutor ruled the shot was an act of revenge, not self-defense, since the attackers were fleeing.
- The event highlights a surge in French crypto-targeted violence, with over 70 cases reported by June.
Kidnapping Attempt Leads to Shooting In France
Wrench attacks, or incidents that include violence targeting crypto holders in an effort to gain access to their holdings, are increasing in France—and some crypto holders are starting to fight back. But this time, it landed the victim a prison sentence.
French press reported that Ayman R, a 23-year-old man who was escaping from a kidnapping attempt in Vendee, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on November 4 after using a weapon to fire at attempted kidnappers who had tried to enter his father’s residence.
The man had previously fled an earlier assault, and arrived at his father’s house to take refuge and call the authorities on the attackers.
Nonetheless, 30 minutes later, the same team arrived at his father’s house and tried to enter the residence, with the two men fighting to keep them out. Amidst the panic, the man went upstairs and used a Glock pistol to shoot and scare one of the assailants who was climbing to gain access. The attackers fled afterward, leaving a cellphone at the scene.
The incident transpired on Halloween afternoon as children roamed the street, and a bullet fired by the man ended up above a garage door just meters from nearby kids. The police also had to scuffle with the men to get into the residence and take them into custody, with the weapon found at the scene.
Court reports indicate that neighbors stated that two hooded men kicked the residence’s front door, confirming Ayman R.’s story.
Olivier Dubief, vice-prosecutor in charge of the case, said that the man acted recklessly in retaliation for the kidnapping attempt. “By the time he fired, the gentleman was no longer in danger. The man had come down from the balcony. This is an act of revenge, not self-defense,” he declared.
Ayman R was previously targeted as part of another crypto kidnapping in 2022, a fact highlighted by Jean-Baptiste Colombani, his defense lawyer. “My client has cryptocurrency; we know that there are leaks of this data. Last time, he ended up in a safe in Nantes and was able to escape,” Colombani pointed out.
Before, the man had already been convicted in 2025 for his involvement in a similar incident.
In addition to prison time, Ayman R was also banned from carrying a weapon for 15 years and ousted from Vendee for five years. The incident comes as France has become a hotbed for this kind of crypto crime, with over 70 crypto-related crimes reported by June, according to French authorities.
