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Man whose parents were kidnapped after $245M Bitcoin theft has pleaded guilty to federal charges

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A Connecticut man whose parents were kidnapped after he took part in a $245 million Bitcoin theft has pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges and has agreed to testify against his co-defendants, according to court documents that were unsealed this week. Veer Chetal, 19, from Danbury, Connecticut, was one of three men charged with stealing 4,100 Bitcoins from a victim in Washington, D.C., in an elaborate online scam last August. The trio lived large after the heist, spending millions of dollars on cars, jewelry, rental mansions and nightclub parties, prosecutors say. A week after the theft, Chetal’s parents were assaulted and kidnapped briefly in Danbury in a failed ransom plot aimed at Chetal, who the attackers believed had a large amount of cryptocurrency, authorities said. Chetal’s criminal case was unsealed on Monday in federal court in Washington, revealing his guilty pleas in November and his agreement to cooperate with federal authorities investigating the Bitcoin theft. It also revealed new allegations that he was involved in about 50 similar thefts that raked in another $3 million between November 2023 and September 2024. Another man charged in the Bitcoin theft, Malone Lam, was also among 13 people indicted by a federal grand jury in May in an alleged online racketeering conspiracy involving cryptocurrency thefts across the U.S. and overseas that netted more than $260 million, including the $245 million Bitcoin theft. Chetal is facing 19 to 24 years in prison, a fine between $50,000 and $500,000 and restitution to the victim that has yet to be determined, according federal sentencing guidelines and his plea agreement. His lawyer, David Weinstein, declined to comment, saying Chetal’s case is still pending. In September, federal agents with a search warrant raided Chetal’s apartment in Brunswick, New Jersey, and his parents’ home in Danbury in connection with the $245 million Bitcoin heist. Authorities said they found more than $500,000 in cash, expensive jewelry and watches and high-end clothing. Federal agents also said Chetal had $39 million worth of cryptocurrency that he turned over to investigators. Authorities alleged Chetal, Lam and Jeandiel Serrano were involved in online “social engineering” attacks against cryptocurrency holders. Lam would send victims alerts about unauthorized attempts to access their crypto accounts, while the others would call the victims posing as representatives from well-known companies like Google and Yahoo and gain access to their accounts, authorities said. Messages seeking comment were left with lawyers for Lam and Serrano on Friday. A week after the theft, six Florida men were accused of kidnapping Chetal’s parents in broad daylight in Danbury. One of them crashed a car into the parents’ Lamborghini, while others pulled up in a van, police said. The attackers forced the couple out of their vehicle, beat them, put them in the van and tied them up, police said. The plot was foiled, and the attackers were arrested quickly because there were eyewitnesses who immediately called police, and an off-duty FBI agent happened to be driving by at the time of the kidnapping, authorities said. Federal agents said a seventh man who was later arrested in connection with the kidnapping had previously gotten into a dispute with Chetal that turned physical at a Miami nightclub. The attack on the couple is part of an increasing trend worldwide in robbers using violence to steal cryptocurrency. Chetal, who was attending Rutgers University in New Jersey at the time of the $245 million theft and later withdrew, was born in India and came to the U.S. with his family when he was 4 years old in 2010, according to court documents. His father was granted a foreign worker’s visa, and his wife and children obtained related dependent visas. Federal authorities said Chetal could face deportation as a result of the criminal case. Authorities say Chetal’s father lost his job at Morgan Stanley because of the kidnapping and his son’s connection to it. Chetal was initially released from federal custody on his own recognizance. But a judge ordered him detained until trial earlier this year after federal prosecutors said they discovered Chetal was involved in another crypto theft worth $2 million in October that he didn’t tell them about, after he had begun cooperating with federal authorities.

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Vivo V60 leak hints at Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, 6,500mAh battery and triple cameras: Launch timeline tipped

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Vivo is reportedly gearing up to unveil the successor to its V50 smartphone in India next month. The upcoming Vivo V60, expected to launch on 19 August, has been the subject of several leaks, revealing key specifications, colour variants, and even design renders ahead of its official debut.According to noted tipster Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh), the Vivo V60 could come equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset, a notable upgrade over the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 featured in the V50. The handset is also said to pack a massive 6,500mAh battery, potentially supporting 90W fast charging, as hinted by recent TUV and SIRIM listings.Brar suggests that the upcoming smartphone may continue the brand’s focus on photography, possibly offering 50MP cameras, although the exact camera configuration remains unclear. The leaked renders point to a triple rear camera setup, arranged uniquely within a pill-shaped camera island, with an additional lens and LED flash positioned alongside it. Vivo’s branding appears on the bottom-left corner of the rear panel.In terms of aesthetics, the Vivo V60 could be launched in three distinct colour options: Mist Grey, Moonlit Blue, and Auspicious Gold, further adding to its premium appeal.Adding to the excitement, the tipster also claims that Vivo might introduce OriginOS, its custom user interface based on Android 16, in India alongside the new handset. This would mark the first appearance of OriginOS in the Indian market, offering a fresh user experience compared to the company’s traditional Funtouch OS.The Vivo V60 is expected to bring several upgrades over its predecessor, the Vivo V50, which made its Indian debut in February this year. The V50 features a 6.77-inch quad-curved AMOLED display with full-HD+ resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and peak brightness of 4,500 nits. It is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 SoC and houses a 6,000mAh battery with support for 90W fast charging. Camera-wise, it sports a dual rear camera setup (50MP main + 50MP ultrawide) and a 50MP front camera.

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Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas warns aspiring entrepreneurs: ‘Big tech will copy anything that works’

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Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of AI startup Perplexity, issued a stark warning to students and budding entrepreneurs at Y Combinator’s AI Startup School this week, urging them to be prepared for the inevitability of Big Tech copying successful ideas.Addressing an audience of undergraduates, graduates, and PhD candidates, Srinivas underscored the competitive intensity of the AI sector, where larger companies such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI are constantly scouting for innovations they can replicate and scale. “If your company can generate revenue in the hundreds of millions or even billions, you should always assume that a major player will try to copy it,” he cautioned, according to Business Insider.Reflecting on Perplexity’s own journey, Srinivas revealed that at its initial launch, the company’s chatbot was one of the first to feature real-time web browsing, a capability that has since been adopted by several of its larger rivals. “We introduced real-time search to make our answer engine truly dynamic. Months later, others followed,” he noted.Launched in December 2022, Perplexity’s platform positioned itself as an ‘answer engine’, a tool designed to provide clear and factual responses through up-to-date web searches. At the time, most AI chatbots operated using static, pre-trained data. However, the tide quickly shifted. Google added browsing to Bard (now Gemini) just three months later. ChatGPT integrated similar functionality in May 2023, and Anthropic’s Claude incorporated real-time search earlier this year.Srinivas acknowledged that while imitation by tech giants can be daunting, it is also a marker of success. “You will have to learn to live with that fear,” he said, encouraging founders to remain focused on speed, originality, and building trust with users, factors that can offer a competitive edge even in a saturated market.Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly developing its own web browser, set to debut in the coming weeks. The browser is expected to further blur the lines between chat and traditional internet navigation, allowing users to complete tasks like filling out forms or making reservations within a conversational interface. This move aligns with OpenAI’s broader strategy to embed itself deeper into users’ digital routines.As the AI arms race continues, Srinivas’s message to the next generation of innovators is clear: disruption invites duplication and resilience is key.

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Get iPhone 16 under ₹20,000? Here’s how the deal works

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In a major boost for smartphone shoppers, Flipkart has launched exciting deals on the latest iPhone 16 series as part of its ongoing GOAT Sale 2025. The much-anticipated iPhone 16 (128GB variant) is now available at a special price of ₹69,999, down from its original retail value of ₹79,900.Interestingly, the e-commerce platform is offering multiple ways for consumers to maximise their savings. In addition to the flat price drop, customers can also benefit from exchange offers of up to ₹59,700, subject to eligibility and the condition of the old device.Moreover, those making purchases using an Axis Bank Credit Card, specifically for non-EMI transactions, can enjoy an extra discount of ₹3,000. Flipkart has also partnered with other leading banks, including HDFC Bank and IDFC First Bank, to extend up to 10 per cent instant savings on qualifying card payments.Shoppers looking to further reduce their final bill can take advantage of UPI-based payment offers or redeem Flipkart SuperCoins for additional benefits.iPhone 16: Specifications and highlightsApple’s latest flagship, the iPhone 16, boasts a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with Ceramic Shield protection for enhanced durability. It runs on the new iOS 18 operating system and is powered by the cutting-edge A18 chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM.In terms of optics, the base model comes with 128GB of internal storage, with options going up to 512GB for higher variants. Photography enthusiasts will appreciate the 48MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide sensor on the rear, while a 12MP front-facing camera handles selfies and video calls.Powering the Apple device is a 3561mAh battery that supports both 25W wired and wireless charging, promising improved efficiency and longevity. The iPhone 16 is available in a range of colour choices including Ultramarine, Pink, White, Black, and Teal.

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