Scottish man plans $2.7 million cryptocurrency theft in prison, sentenced to 8 years

The Scottish High Court sentenced 29-year-old Robert Barr to 8 years in prison for allegedly planning to steal cryptocurrency while in prison, with the amount involved reaching up to £2 million (approximately $2.7 million). Co-defendants Sean Favier (26) and Iain Doyle (37) both admitted to participating in serious organized crime, receiving sentences of 4 years and 5 years, respectively. Judge Lord Cubie stated that this case combines 21st-century computer technology with old-fashioned burglary.

According to court disclosures, Barr's plan was to have Favier and Doyle enter a residence near Midlothian, Edinburgh, and force the victim to install remote control software AnyDesk on their computer, allowing Barr, who was serving a 21-month fraud sentence at HMP Edinburgh at the time, to remotely control the computer and transfer cryptocurrency into a wallet under his control. Around 11:30 PM on April 17, 2024, the two arrived at the residence, but the homeowner couple discovered them through the doorbell camera and refused to open the door, causing the plan to fail.

Investigators recovered months of preparations from Barr's phone, which was seized in June 2024, including identifying the victim, collecting photos of the house, and conducting reconnaissance. The phone messages explicitly mentioned threats or violence. The victim is a co-founder of a cryptocurrency startup, whose accomplices had previously stolen a cryptocurrency wallet in January 2024 but were unable to access the funds due to a lack of a PIN code. Prosecutors described Barr as a "seasoned cybercriminal." The judge will consider issuing a serious crime prevention order against him on November 17, and Barr is currently detained due to potential extradition matters. According to a report by Chainalysis, the amount stolen in such "ransom attacks" exceeded $30 million in the first half of 2026.