SCOTTSDALE, AZ (AZFamily) — Court documents obtained Thursday detail a late January home break-in and describe how two teenage boys were planning to steal $66 million in cryptocurrency.
Jackson Sullivan, 17, and Skylar LaPaille, 16, were arrested just after 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 31, shortly after the burglary.
Skylar LaPaille, left, and Jackson Sullivan, right, were charged with nine felonies.(Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
According to the paperwork, Sullivan met LaPaille through a mutual friend in December, and they were being extorted by someone named “Red” to do the burglary. LaPaille reportedly said he got details about the victims and that they had $66 million in cryptocurrency.
Sullivan is a junior at San Luis Obispo High School in central California and the two teens drove all the way from there to pull off the heist, police said.
They stole a license plate from a similar car in Scottsdale to hide their identity and bought their robbery kit that included zip ties, duct tape, a box, a screwdriver and a dolly, court paperwork said. They also reportedly brought a Tracfone to get the cryptocurrency.
Police said the pair also bought actual FedEx uniforms on Amazon to look like delivery workers.
Court paperwork said the owner of the home near 98th Street on Windrose Drive, north of Cactus Road, answered the door around 10:30 a.m. and thought the two suspects were delivery people with a box and a dolly.
When he opened the door, Sullivan and LaPaille forced their way into the home, hit the man, threw him to the ground and tied him up with duct tape. The man’s wife was also tied up with duct tape.
The two suspects demanded access to the man’s Bitcoin, which he denied having. The victim was reportedly beaten. He later said that he suffered a concussion and a broken rib.
The victims’ adult son was hiding in the back of the house and called 911. Officers arrived and the two suspects ran into the backyard. They then ran to their car and drove off.
Sullivan and LaPaille fled from officers, who eventually stopped the pursuit because it was too dangerous. But the suspects then drove into a shopping plaza with a dead end. Police said they performed a “high-risk” stop, removed Sullivan and LaPaille from the SUV, and took them into custody.
Investigators later found a 3D-printed gun at the home that didn’t belong to the homeowners, but it was unclear if it worked. It had no ammunition.
Court records said Sullivan’s mother called California law enforcement after she found text messages on his phone describing dressing up like UPS workers, committing a burglary, splitting the money from the crime and a Scottsdale address. But by the time California officers called Scottsdale police, the burglary had already happened.
According to the direct complaint, Sullivan and LaPaille have been charged with nine felonies, including aggravated assault, kidnapping and second-degree burglary.
Sullivan is out on a $50,000 cash-only bond and wearing an electronic monitor. LaPaille had a $50,000 secured bond but it’s unclear if he posted it.
During a court hearing earlier this month, Sullivan’s attorney claimed he was manipulated by someone online and his parents were unaware of what was going on.
Sullivan’s attorney said in the same hearing that the two suspects were on the phone with a third person, likely “Red,” during the robbery.
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