Two brothers who allegedly held a Twin Cities family at gunpoint for nine hours is making their first appearance in federal court Thursday.
24-year old Isiah and 23-year old Raymond Garcia were arrested in Texas earlier this week.
The U.S. Attorneys office says they kidnapped a mother, father and their adult son and stole $8 million in cryptocurrency, forcing the son to log into his account and transfer the funds to another account they provided.
“A violent kidnapping that stole $8 million and silenced a homecoming game is not just a crime. It is a blow to the sense of safety of everyone in Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This is not normal. Minnesotans should not accept wild violence and thievery as normal. Every Minnesotan deserves to live in peace and a life unaffected by rampant crime.”
The duo also forced the family to drive to a cabin where additional funds were stored on a hard-drive.
At one point all family members were forced to lie on the floor with their hands ziptied. The suspects fled when law enforcement arrived, prompting nearby Mahtomedi High School to cancel its homecoming football game.
Investigators tracked the brothers through a Wendy's receipt, car rental records and surveillance video.
“As alleged in the complaint, the Garcia brothers terrorized a Minnesota family in their own home, kidnapping one family member while holding the rest of the family hostage in order to conduct a brazen cryptocurrency theft,” said FBI Minneapolis Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston, Sr. “This office, together with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners in Minnesota and in Texas, will work tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for this horrific crime.”