News
NYPD – NBC New York
A cryptocurrency sale between two men at a Manhattan hotel didn’t go according to plan when the buyer found himself tied up and face-to-face with three thieves who walked away with a bag full of cash, police say.
According to the NYPD, a 40-year-old man arrived at the Sonder Battery Park Hotel, where he had arranged to purchase an unspecified amount of cryptocurrency.
The buyer and seller met in the hotel lobby on Saturday around 5pm before heading to a room on the third floor where they allegedly planned to finalize the sale.
Once they got to the room, police said the alleged salesman pushed the 40-year-old through the door and onto the floor, where he found himself face-to-face with two other men.
The men began beating the buyer, punching him before typing him up. Police said they taped his ankles, wrist and mouth.
Then, the trio grabbed the victim’s bag, filled with $20,000 in cash, and fled the hotel.
On Friday, police released surveillance images of the three men, all between the ages of 18 and 22.