According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, a Scottish prisoner already behind bars for crypto fraud allegedly directed a plot to steal approximately $2,655,284 in cryptocurrency f
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, a Scottish prisoner already behind bars for crypto fraud allegedly directed a plot to steal approximately $2,655,284 in cryptocurrency from a startup co-founder in Midlothian. Robert Barr, 29, was sentenced to eight years in prison.
Barr was serving a 21-month sentence at HMP Edinburgh for a prior crypto fraud conviction when, according to prosecutors, he started orchestrating the new scheme. His target: a co-founder of a crypto startup sitting on roughly £2 million in digital assets. For related coverage, see Top Crypto Prop Trading Firms in 2026.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, the alleged plan involved Barr coordinating two accomplices, Sean Favier, 26, and Iain Doyle, 37, to physically confront the victim and force them to install AnyDesk, a legitimate remote-access application. Once installed, Barr would connect from his prison cell and drain the wallets himself. Context on this theme: Rialto Protocol Overview: Reported Features, Referral Terms and Airdrop Risks.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, the first attempt, in January 2024, involved a burglary in which the accomplices stole a hardware wallet. According to Crypto Briefing‘s coverage of the case, the reported theft of the device did not by itself provide access to the assets. More on this in Ethena Review 2026: How Safe Is the Synthetic Dollar Behind USDe?.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, Favier and Doyle returned to the victim’s address at 11:30 p.m. on April 17, 2024. The court statement says the victim saw the men on a doorbell camera and did not open the door, preventing the attempt from proceeding.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, investigators seized Barr’s phone on June 25, 2024, and found planning messages and surveillance imagery of the victim’s home.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, all three defendants pleaded guilty to serious organised crime charges. Scotland’s High Court of Justiciary in Glasgow handed down sentences on November 10, 2026, the date the Judicial Office published its sentencing statement.
Barr received eight years. Doyle was sentenced to five. Favier received four.
Prison terms imposed 8 years Barr: 8 years • Favier: 4 years • Doyle: 5 years Sentences reported following guilty pleas to serious organised crime charges.Lord Cubie, presiding over the case, described the scheme in terms that cut right to the heart of it: “This was a crime which married 21st-century computer sophistication with old-fashioned housebreaking.”
“This was a crime which married 21st-century computer sophistication with old-fashioned housebreaking.”
Lord Cubie, Scotland’s High Court of Justiciary
What makes this case notable is the combination of tactics. Remote-access software like AnyDesk is a standard IT tool, commonly used by support desks and remote workers. In this alleged scheme, it was the digital mechanism for draining wallets worth approximately £2 million, with two men providing the physical coercion needed to get it installed.
Crypto targeted in the plot $2,655,284 The alleged target was approximately £2 million in cryptocurrency.The court statement says the victim saw the men on a doorbell camera and did not open the door, preventing the attempt from proceeding.
According to Crypto Briefing’s case coverage, the reported theft of the hardware wallet did not by itself provide access to the assets.
According to the Judicial Office sentencing statement, Barr’s prior 21-month sentence was for crypto fraud, and the alleged new plot was conceived while he was incarcerated.
The legal proceedings are not fully closed. A serious crime prevention order hearing is scheduled for November 17, 2026, according to the sentencing statement published by Scotland’s Judicial Office. Such orders can impose significant restrictions on a person’s activities after release.
According to a single source reported by Decrypt, Barr may also be facing potential US extradition proceedings, though this has not been independently confirmed by a second source or official document.
The case involved allegations of both physical access and remote-access software.
Editorial credits
AF Anca Florentis Writer · TheCCPress LM Lucas Mercer Duty editor · TheCCPress Monitors published articles around the clock and can correct or withdraw them.Checked by TheCCPress QC Team before publishing on November 12, 2026 for legal wording, counter-evidence, labeling, headline accuracy, factual consistency, metadata and authorship claims: our AI review system checks every article before it goes live, and our duty editor monitors it after publication. Report an error.
TheCCPress uses AI for research, drafting and review. Our editorial team is responsible for every article and corrects or withdraws articles when needed. How we review.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
The article Scottish Prisoner Sentenced to Eight Years Over Crypto Theft Plot first featured on theccpress.com.
