The arrest follows a series of controversies surrounding Armstrong. In late August, Hit Network, the entity overseeing the “BitBoy Crypto” brand, severed ties with Armstrong due to concerns related to substance abuse and financial issues affecting employees.
Crypto influencer Ben Armstrong, known as BitBoy Crypto, found himself in handcuffs on Monday evening as he attempted to confront a former business associate, Carlos Diaz, in a bizarre turn of events that played out during a live YouTube broadcast.
Armstrong intended to reclaim his Lamborghini, which he alleged was in Diaz’s possession. He had teased his followers earlier with a cryptic post about going live from a “very special location”. Less than an hour later, he was live streaming from outside Diaz’s residence.
I’ll be going live soon from a very special location on YouTube so get ready this is going to be good
— Ben Armstrong aka BitBoy Crypto (@BenArmstrongsX) September 25, 2023
Armstrong Arrested by Local Police
During the livestream, Armstrong accused his former business partner, Diaz, of wanting to harm him and insinuating connections to the Houston mafia. “I’m not scared of you, Carlos”, he shouted defiantly.
Approximately 19 minutes into the now deleted stream, local police arrived on the scene and questioned him about the presence of any weapons, to which Armstrong replied in the negative. He was subsequently instructed to put down his phone, and the stream abruptly cut off, leaving only audio of the conversation between Armstrong and the officers.
According to records from the Gwinnett County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office, Benjamin Charles Armstrong was booked on September 25, 2023, at 9:11 PM local time and currently remains in custody.
Bad Actors in Crypto Getting Karma
In an interesting twist, Diaz later confirmed Armstrong’s uninvited visit on September 26, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.
The incident has garnered mixed reactions within the crypto community. Some, like blockchain sleuth “ZachXBT,” celebrated it as karma catching up with one of crypto’s most notorious figures.
“Will always celebrate one of the most notorious bad actors in crypto finally getting karma,” ZachXBT wrote on X.
BitBoy Crypto Cuts Ties with Armstrong
The arrest follows a series of controversies surrounding Armstrong. In late August, Hit Network, the entity overseeing the “BitBoy Crypto” brand, severed ties with Armstrong due to concerns related to substance abuse and financial issues affecting employees.
Shortly after, legal battles ensued between all the parties involved. On September 20, Armstrong asked his followers for donations to cover his mounting legal expenses.
It is worth noting that Armstrong had sought financial support from his followers to regain control of BitBoy Crypto.
So far, the crypto YouTuber has garnered contributions totaling more than $54,000, which have been deposited to his Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and Cardano (ADA) addresses.
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