John Ross-D’Alfonso, a 28-year-old Cambuslang resident, is dealing with imprisonment after being discovered responsible of possession of a considerable sum of cryptocurrency following a violent theft in Blantyre. The incident, which befell on March 18, 2020, resulted in extreme accidents to a lady who was struck with a personalised Toblerone chocolate bar.
In the course of the trial on the Excessive Courtroom in Glasgow, D’Alfonso, also referred to as John-Ross Rennie, was acquitted of costs of assault and theft, however was as an alternative convicted of the offense of reset. He claimed {that a} coercive relative had compelled him to deposit the cash into his account, refuting any direct involvement within the raid itself.
The theft transpired on the residence of a person reportedly concerned in Bitcoin, with the sufferer’s brother and a lady current in the course of the assault. Based on the brother’s testimony, he was awoken by his canine barking and seen a determine in his doorway wielding a machete. One of many raiders demanded a switch of funds, whereas one other threw the girl right into a bed room, inflicting accidents with the chocolate bar utilized in a menacing method.
The group absconded in an expensive Audi parked on the scene, and D’Alfonso was apprehended a number of months later. Though he denied any prior data of the theft, it was revealed that the stolen cryptocurrency had landed in his account and was subsequently transferred elsewhere. Police investigations traced the actions of the funds, proving D’Alfonso’s involvement within the dealing with of the Bitcoin pockets that obtained the stolen property.
The worth of the cryptocurrency on the time fluctuated between an estimated £100,000 and £1.2 million, with the police estimating the Bitcoin to be price roughly $200,000. Detective Inspector Craig Potter, of Police Scotland’s Cyber Investigations unit, emphasised the intricate nature of the investigation, affirming that it was the primary theft in Scotland involving the monitoring of stolen cryptocurrency. He additional underscored the dedication of the authorities to fight felony actions inside the digital area and produce the perpetrators to justice.
In mild of the complicated and evolving panorama of know-how, the sentencing for John Ross-D’Alfonso has been deferred for studies. The case stands as a testomony to the vigilance and capabilities of Police Scotland in addressing felony actions that exploit the digital realm.
