Martel Williams, 27, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court in Hartford to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery over a failed August 2024 plot to steal bitcoin from a Connecticut family.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to U.S. Attorney David X. Sullivan.
Prosecutors say coordinators recruited Williams and two associates from St. Louis to force their way into a target's home, threaten him, and demand he move cryptocurrency into accounts they controlled. The target had allegedly taken part in a theft worth hundreds of millions of dollars, local outlets reported.
Between August 21 and August 24, 2024, the crew traveled to Connecticut. They rented vehicles and gathered supplies including air rifles, walkie-talkies, and a laptop. They stalked the target and his parents for two days but never attempted entry. Williams and his associates feared capture on home security cameras, grew frustrated with the plan, and cited lack of communication from coordinators before leaving without carrying out the robbery.
A second crew of six men from Florida arrived days later. On August 25, 2024, Danbury police arrested those six men after they beat and kidnapped two people in a carjacking. Those two victims were the parents of the target.
Federal agents arrested Williams on July 17, 2026. He remains free pending sentencing with no date set. The FBI New Haven Violent Crimes Task Force, FBI Los Angeles, FBI St. Louis, and Danbury Police Department investigated. Other defendants in the Danbury case have also pleaded guilty, local reporting confirmed.