Bitcoin Sale Ends With Knifepoint Robbery in Florida

A Florida man was reportedly robbed at knifepoint during a sale of $28,000 in bitcoin this week.

According to the Sun Sentinel, a Palm Beach, Florida-based news service, Steve Manos, a 32-year-old Lake Worth resident, arranged to meet two individuals in West Palm Beach to exchange cash for the digital currency.

Manos is said to have told local authorities that he had met with the two previously for other bitcoin sales. Yet, on 26th July, one of the two sellers pulled out a knife after Manos provided them with $28,000 in cash (worth about 40 BTC at press time). In the ensuing struggle, one of the alleged robbers attempted to take a gun owned by Manos, and ultimately the two individuals fled with the money.

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office went on to arrest 34-year-old Andre Allen after Manos provided the office with a phone number he had used to initiate contact for the sale. Manos later identified Allen in a police line-up.

Allen was booked and held on a $31,000 bond. Local arrest records indicate that he was released on 27th July.

The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office was not immediately available for comment when reached.

Real-world attacks

The attack is the latest in a series of notable bitcoin-related robberies perpetrated in Florida.

In 2014, a bitcoin mine based in Tampa was robbed by a former employee. During that incident, roughly $35,000 in bitcoin at then-current prices was taken, along with more than $150,000 worth of mining equipment.

But, Florida isn't the only place where in-person bitcoin sales have resulted in crime. For example, last summer, a New York man was robbed of more than $1,000 in bitcoin at gunpoint during an attempted sale.

Army knife image via Shutterstock