French Crypto Holder Gets 30 Months in Prison for Shooting at Attackers

A 23-year-old cryptocurrency holder in western France has been sentenced to 30 months in prison after discharging a firearm at hooded assailants during an attempted kidnapping. The La Roche-sur-Yon criminal court handed down the sentence following an immediate trial, rejecting the victim's claim of self-defense.

The confrontation took place on the afternoon of Halloween in La Roche-sur-Yon, located in the Vendée department. The young man, identified in legal proceedings as Ayman R., initially managed to escape an attempted abduction on the street and fled to his father's nearby residence seeking shelter.

Roughly thirty minutes after his arrival, the masked attackers tracked him down to the property and attempted to breach the front entrance. While his father physically pushed against the door to keep the intruders out, the victim ran upstairs, retrieved an unlicensed Glock handgun, and fired from a balcony as one assailant attempted to scale the building.

The gunshot caused the intruders to panic and flee the scene, leaving behind incriminating evidence including a balaclava and a mobile phone. Police investigators quickly cordoned off the area to collect forensic evidence, discovering that the bullet had struck near a residential garage door.

During his trial, the defendant maintained that he was in an absolute state of terror and intended only to frighten off the attackers rather than cause harm. However, prosecutors argued that legal self-defense did not apply because the firearm was discharged while the assailants were actively retreating from the premises.

Prosecutors and judges placed heavy emphasis on the severe danger posed to the surrounding neighborhood during the afternoon shooting. The incident occurred in broad daylight while local children were outside participating in Halloween festivities, with court reports noting that the stray projectile struck dangerously close to young bystanders.

The violent encounter marked the second time the young digital asset investor had been targeted by criminals seeking cryptocurrency funds. He had previously survived another kidnapping ordeal in 2022, a harrowing precedent that defense counsel highlighted to explain his heightened state of vigilance and desperation.

The case underscores an escalating wave of physical coercion targeting cryptocurrency holders across France and Europe, commonly termed physical wrench attacks. Criminal groups increasingly bypass technical digital protections by directly ambushing investors in person, using home invasions, surveillance, and violence to force immediate wallet transfers.

Cybersecurity specialists and law enforcement agencies have repeatedly warned that public displays of digital wealth make investors vulnerable to coordinated physical robberies. As crypto assets become more mainstream, offline criminal networks are deploying traditional extortion tactics against high-net-worth individuals who lack institutional security safeguards.

French authorities have continued investigating the unidentified assailants who fled the scene, using the recovered physical evidence to trace the organized gang. Meanwhile, the legal ruling sends a stark signal from the French judiciary that unilateral use of lethal firearms in civilian areas will face strict criminal liability, regardless of prior victimization.