Prisoner ran £2m crypto theft scheme from jail cell
A prisoner was sentenced to eight years. He ran £2m cryptocurrency thefts using illegal mobile phones from his cell.
Robert Barr, 29, ran an attempted £2m cryptocurrency theft from inside HMP Edinburgh using illegal mobile phones. Barr told Sean Favier, 26, and Iain Doyle, 37, to raid two homes in Midlothian while he stayed in prison.
The first robbery in January 2024 targeted a cryptocurrency start-up co-founder and succeeded. During the second raid in April, the raiders spotted a doorbell camera and fled.
Barr texted accomplices instructions to download remote access software to steal digital assets from the target's computer. He knew the man owned about £2m in cryptocurrency.
All three pleaded guilty to serious organised crime. Barr got eight years; Favier got four years; Doyle got five years.
- £2m
- Attempted theft value
- 29 years old, 8 years prison
- Barr's age and sentence
- HMP Edinburgh and Midlothian
- Location
- January 2024
- First raid date
Why it mattersShows how prisoners smuggle phones to organize crimes. This exposes a gap in prison security.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect yet, but similar schemes in Australian prisons would highlight gaps in cell security and phone smuggling prevention.
