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Federal Indictment Names Six in Winnetka Home Invasion, Including Rapper Lil Zay Osama

The case spotlights a federal push to police violent crews that hunt for cryptocurrency.

Overview

  • Prosecutors unsealed the case Tuesday after a multi-agency probe and charged six men with conspiracy to kidnap and rob in a March 8 break-in in Winnetka, Illinois.
  • Court papers say intruders posed as a delivery worker, forced their way in with guns, held a resident for about an hour, and demanded access to a safe, a computer, and online crypto accounts.
  • Investigators allege Isaiah Dukes, known as Lil Zay Osama, coordinated by phone during the break-in and relayed instructions on how to access digital assets, though he was not inside the home.
  • Arrests rolled out in stages, with three men taken into custody March 22 and three more on April 10, and a seventh person was arrested with charges pending as the investigation continues.
  • The kidnapping count carries a potential life sentence and prosecutors moved to seize about $111,300 and firearms, while Dukes pleaded not guilty and issued a statement asserting his innocence.