The CEO of Binance France, the French arm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, was targeted in a terrifying home invasion attempt on Thursday morning, according to a recent report by RTL.
Three armed and masked individuals broke into a residence in the Val-de-Marne region (southeast of Paris) around 7:00 AM on Feb. 12.
A series of blunders
What makes this case so bizarre is that the criminals made a series of laughable errors.
The commando first forced their way into a neighbor's apartment at gunpoint. They demanded to be shown which door belonged to the Binance France boss.
After breaching the correct apartment, they ransacked the home but discovered that their target was not there. The trio only managed to steal two mobile phones.
Second attempt and arrest
At 9:15 AM, another violent incident in Vaucresson was reported to the police. A female resident reported being pistol-whipped by several masked men who had broken into her home.
The attackers realized they had the wrong target (once again). The victim told police she overheard the men saying, "The address is not the right one," and "Stéphane lives at number 41."
Investigators later confirmed that a different crypto entrepreneur resides at number 41 on that same street.
This stunning incompetence made it possible for the police to quickly connect the two crimes. The stolen phones from the first break-in were tracked to the Vaucresson location.
Surveillance footage identified the same getaway vehicle used in both attacks. The three suspects were intercepted and arrested later that day in Lyon.
Binance's response
On X, Binance CEO Richard Teng confirmed the safety of his colleague and praised French law enforcement. The exchange is "fully" cooperating with the authorities.
Vladislav Sopov
Dan Burgin
