Ex-LAPD officer gets life sentence for home invasion robbery of teen's crypto fortune

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Set us as preferred A former Los Angeles Police Department officer was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison for his role in a 2024 home invasion robbery in Koreatown in which he and a group of co-conspirators stole $350,000 worth of cryptocurrency from a teenager.The ex-officer, Eric Halem, made a last-ditch request for new trial that was rejected by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo.The judge said she wrestled with her decision on Halem’s punishment, changing her mind several times before sentencing him to concurrent life terms for kidnapping and robbery.Escobedo acknowledged receiving letters from Halem’s family and friends that described him as an honorable, caring man and a loving father.

But she said the evidence presented in trial suggested otherwise, revealing a man willing to resort to violence out of “sheer and utter greed.” California A recent Los Angeles trial revealed a subculture that revolves around newly created crypto wealth and young men who flaunt fortunes built through elaborate scams.Ultimately, she said, “there could’ve been no other conclusion.”As she explained her rationale, Halem, who appeared in court in an orange jumpsuit, sat with his head bowed, eyes downcast.Halem’s attorney, Joseph Weimortz, argued that his client is entitled to a new trial based on several legal missteps by his former lawyers, claiming their lack of familiarity with the state court system led to a failure to call any witnesses or examine key evidence.

After the judge forbade them from using certain PowerPoint slides, Halem’s former attorneys decided against presenting an opening statement to jurors, scuttling any possibility of a favorable outcome, Weimortz said.Escobedo disagreed, saying that the previous attorneys “performed well above the standard of a reasonably competent attorney”...