Two brothers are now federally charged in connection with a kidnapping and armed robbery that took place in Mahtomedi last week.
Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, face charges of engaging in kidnapping and cryptocurrency heist in federal court.
Washington County prosecutors also charged the pair with three counts of kidnapping, three counts of burglary and one count of aggravated robbery each.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that the Garcia brothers held a family at gunpoint for nine hours and stole $8 million in cryptocurrency from them. Mahtomedi Public Schools cancelled its homecoming game out of an abundance of caution while authorities searched for the suspects.
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A man called 911 on Friday evening and said his family had been the victims of an armed robbery and kidnapping by two men, later identified as the Garcia brothers. The man added that he and his parents had been held hostage.
The 911 caller’s father had been taking the trash can to the street at his home in Grant when the Garcia brothers appeared, pointed an AR-15 style rifle and a shotgun at him, forced him into the garage, and zip-tied his hands, prosecutors said. The brothers then woke up the man’s wife and adult son and zip-tied them as well.
According to prosecutors, while Raymond Garcia held the man’s wife and son hostage for nine hours, Isiah Garcia forced the man to log into his cryptocurrency accounts at gunpoint. He demanded the man transfer large amounts of cryptocurrency into a cryptocurrency wallet he provided.
A third party told Isiah Garcia that the victim had more cryptocurrency funds. When the victim explained that the remaining funds were stored on a hard drive at the family cabin three hours away, Isiah Garcia forced him to drive to the cabin and transfer the funds before driving home.
In total, the brothers forced the victim to transfer $8 million worth of cryptocurrency to them, prosecutors said.
As Isiah Garcia and the victim were on their way back to Grant, the victim’s son was able to call 911. Arriving deputies found the mother and son zip-tied in the home. They also saw Raymond Garcia running out the back door.
While searching the area around the home, investigators found a suitcase containing a disassembled AR-15-style rifle, ammunition, clothes and beverages.
Several squads responding to the 911 call unknowingly passed Isiah Gacia and the victim. According to prosecutors, Isiah Garcia parked the truck and walked toward a nearby middle school. The law enforcement activity near the school forced Mahtomedi Public Schools to cancel its homecoming game.
A Wendy’s receipt in the suitcase helped investigators track the brothers to renting a vehicle in Houston, Texas, three days prior. Law enforcement was able to track the vehicle back to the Garcia brothers’ home in Waller, Texas.
The brothers were arrested on Monday in Texas. While in custody, prosecutors say Isiah Garcia confessed.
Both are scheduled to make their first appearances in federal court on Thursday.
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