A 24-year-old Tictok creator, Catherine Colivas kidnapped a Saudi Royal in Victoria, Australia and threatened to cut off his fingers unless he paid $40,000 in Bitcoin. What’s shocking is, despite pleading guilty, Colivas was given a community corrections order instead of a custodial sentence.
The event occurred in February 2023 after Colivas met the Saudi Royal on a dating app. Her accomplices waited, after Colivas spiked the victim during dinner and drinks.
According to a report from DailyMail, the 23-year-old victim who happens to be a crypto trader and also sells Rolex watches, was lured to Colivas’ home.
As he walked her toward the door, he was ambushed by Colivas and three other friends of hers, including her boyfriend who is a drug dealer. They tied him with cables and threatened him with a knife unless he handed over $20,000 cash. The victim offered Bitcoin and contacted a friend to make a $40,000 transfer on his behalf.
After obtaining the Bitcoin, the perpetrators took the victim’s keys, ransacked his home, and ran off with items including a Louis Vuitton bag, designer clothes, a Playstation 5, and multiple iPhones. After being set free, the victim reported to the hospital for bruises on his head and wrists. He also reported the crime to the Police.
Shortly, Colivas and her friends were arrested and sentenced today in the County Court of Victoria. But despite each facing a maximum 25-year sentence for kidnapping, Colivas was handed a 30-month community corrections order instead.
Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis cited “exceptional circumstances,” including Colivas’ traumatic childhood, her vulnerable mental state, and the fact that she had recently lost her brother, Andrew, while awaiting trial.
One of her friends, Kennedy, who has already spent 90 days in jail, was released on a good behavior bond after pleading guilty to charges of theft and burglary. Both women said they were sorry, and Kennedy also apologized to the court.
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