WASHINGTON COUNTY, Minn. — Two Texas brothers face federal kidnapping charges after allegedly holding a Minnesota family at gunpoint for nine hours and stealing $8 million in cryptocurrency, prosecutors said Thursday.
Prosecutors said Raymond Christian Garcia, 23, and Isiah Angelo Garcia, 24, forced their way into a Minnesota home last week, armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a shotgun, prosecutors said.
“This is not just a crime. It’s a blow to the sense of safety of everyone in Minnesota,” Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson said in a press release.
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The brothers allegedly confronted a man taking out his trash around 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 19, zip-tied his hands, and entered his home. They then woke up and restrained his wife and adult son at gunpoint, prosecutors said.
The brothers were in contact with an unknown third suspect who appeared to be providing information about crypto accounts and transfers, prosecutors said.
While Raymond Garcia continued to hold the wife and son hostage, prosecutors said Isiah Garcia forced the father to drive three hours to a family cabin to retrieve a hard-drive-like crypto wallet, which contained additional cryptocurrency funds.
FBI Minneapolis Special Agent Alvin M. Winston, Sr. called it a “horrific crime,” saying the brothers “terrorized a Minnesota family in their own home.”
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Prosecutors said the family’s son was able to call 911 after Raymond Garcia briefly left the house. A large police presence in response led nearby local schools to cancel a homecoming football game, prosecutors said.
Investigators tracked the brothers using a Wendy’s receipt found in a suitcase containing the disassembled AR-15 as well as surveillance footage from a Minnesota motel, according to prosecutors. The brothers were arrested Sept. 22 at their home in Waller, Texas.
Isiah Garcia confessed his involvement after his arrest, prosecutors said.
The brothers face federal kidnapping charges and state charges, including kidnapping with a firearm, aggravated robbery and burglary.
Their first federal court appearance was Thursday. It was not clear if they have an attorney.
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