A Bitcoin trader in Herzliya was attacked and robbed on September 7 in what prosecutors called a violent home invasion, according to the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office.
The victim was stabbed and forced to give up access to his digital wallet. According to reports, the thieves got away with about $600,000 in assets and valuables.
How the attack unfolded
The assailants reportedly waited on the stairs outside the victim’s apartment and forcibly entered when the door opened around 8:10 a.m. The attacker tied the man up and stabbed him twice, each wound above the knee.
They threatened to harm his family and make him hand over his wallet code. Initially, the group demanded 500 bitcoins, but their demand was later scaled back as violence was used to extract access.
Under pressure, the victim submitted credentials allowing transfers of approximately $547,260 in Bitcoin and $42,248 in USDT.
The intruders also took a Rolex watch worth about $50,000, a laptop, a Trezor hardware wallet, about €5,300 in cash and thousands of Israeli shekels. Before leaving, they sprayed disinfectant inside the apartment. It seems to be part of an effort to erase traces.
Arrest and Prosecution
According to reports, police arrested 46-year-old Murad Mahajna on September 10. He was charged by the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges include breaking and entering, aggravated robbery, extortion by intimidation, obstruction of justice and menacing.
Prosecutors said they used phone records, voice recognition, technical data and CCTV footage to link Mahara to the scene. He is described as having 10 previous convictions for matters including violence, drugs and weapons.
numbers and evidence
The sum in this case is concrete. It was reported that approximately $589,508 in cryptocurrency was transferred from the victim’s account. This is the combined amount of Bitcoin and USDT transfers.
Add in the watches and cash, and the financial loss approaches the headline figure of $600,000 in initial reports.
A cryptoanalysis source that tracks physical attacks against holders listed the incident as a confirmed “wrench” style attack. One study noted that this was the 52nd such physical attack recorded in 2025.
Phone calls made after the assault reportedly pressured the victim for more coins and included threats to “find” his family if his demands were not met.
Featured image by Vecteezy, chart by TradingView
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