Prisoner Jailed for 8 Years Over $2.7M Crypto Theft Plot Run From His Cell - Cryptonews.net
A Scottish court has jailed Robert Barr for eight years for orchestrating an attempted theft of up to £2 million ($2.7 million) in cryptocurrency from his prison cell.
Barr, 29, pleaded guilty along with Sean Favier, 26, and Iain Doyle, 37, to being involved in serious organised crime as part of the attempted theft. Lord Cubie sentenced Favier to four years and Doyle to five years at the High Court in Glasgow.
The Failed Plot
The plan involved Favier and Doyle entering the victims' home in Midlothian, near Edinburgh, and forcing the man to download AnyDesk, a remote-access program. This would have allowed Barr, serving a 21-month sentence at HMP Edinburgh for fraud, to take control of the computer and transfer the crypto to wallets he controlled.
This was a crime which married 21st century computer sophistication with old fashioned housebreaking in an audacious attempt to steal cryptocurrency worth up to £2 million pounds.
Months of Planning
The attempt followed months of preparation, including identifying the victim as a crypto holder and gathering reconnaissance. Investigators pieced together evidence from Barr's phone after it was seized in June 2024. Messages on the phone "plainly contemplated threats and/or violence," the judge noted.
The victim, a co-founder of a crypto startup, did not advertise his holdings but followed mostly crypto-related accounts on social media. Barr's associates had already burgled the house in January 2024 and taken a crypto wallet, but could not access the funds without its PIN.
Rise in Crypto Attacks
Prosecutors described Barr as a "sophisticated cybercriminal" able to "orchestrate a level of criminality rarely seen within mainstream investigations." The judge noted the plot was only frustrated because the victims "had the sense not to open their front door" to unknown men with their faces covered.
Had the men succeeded, the plot would likely have escalated into a so-called wrench attack, where criminals use force or threats to make crypto holders hand over funds. Such attacks are on pace for a record year, with more than $30 million stolen in the first half of 2026, according to Chainalysis.
Lord Cubie will consider a serious crime prevention order against Barr on November 17. Barr is also in custody awaiting potential extradition. The UK has seen several recent cases of crypto-related attacks, including three teenagers jailed earlier this year after stealing $4.3 million in crypto at knifepoint.
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