--- title: "Guy in Ohio Steals $21M in Bitcoin From His Brother" description: "Gary James Harmon of Ohio was sentenced for stealing 712 Bitcoin from his brother, fellow Ohioan crypto convict Larry Dean Harmon." date: "2023-05-04" modified: "2023-05-04" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/guy-ohio-steals-bitcoin-brother" categories: - "Bitcoin" - "Blockchain" - "Cryptocurrency" - "Future Society" tags: - "bitcoin" - "crypto" - "cybercrime" - "the digest" --- # Guy in Ohio Steals $21M in Bitcoin From His Brother ![Gary James Harmon of Ohio was sentenced for stealing 712 Bitcoin from his brother, fellow Ohioan crypto convict Larry Dean Harmon.]() *SONY DSC \Image: Getty Images\* ## Out of Harmony Talk about family drama. As [*Decrypt* reports](), an Ohio resident named Gary James Harmon was sentenced on Thursday to four years and three months in prison for stealing 712 Bitcoin from his brother, Larry Dean Harmon, back in 2020. At the time of the theft, the Bitcoin would have been worth a healthy $4.8 million. At the time of Gary Harmon's sentencing, though, coins' value had swelled to a staggering $21 million plus — greatly increasing the stakes of the theft. ## The Disgusting Brothers But this case is way more complicated than simple theft between siblings. As it turns out, Larry Harmon has *also* been convicted of crypto crimes, as he was arrested back in February 2020 for running a [coin-mixing service]() — basically, a money laundering service that obscures the origin of crypto funds — dubbed Helix, which according to *Decrypt* processed roughly 350,000 Bitcoin between 2014 and 2017. It's probably not all that surprising to learn that Larry's operation was deeply woven into the market of illegal darknet drug sales. Law enforcement caught on, and [per a US Department of Justice (DOJ) press release](), the Helix owner was hit with a $60 million fine after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy. And it was in the middle of Larry's legal troubles, apparently, that Gary saw an opening to snag some valuable Bitcoin for himself, secretly transferring a number of his brother's funds to his wallets before running them through two other coin mixers. "Knowing that the government was seeking to recover the bitcoin stored on the seized device for forfeiture in Larry Harmon's criminal case, Gary Harmon used his brother's credentials to recreate the bitcoin wallets stored on the device and covertly transfer more than 712 bitcoin... to his own wallets — stealing those funds and obstructing the pending criminal forfeiture proceeding," reads a [separate DOJ press release]() regarding Gary's arrest. While some folks argue that coin mixers are essential for ensuring crypto users' privacy, the Harmon brothers couldn't be better poster children — or, uh, poster grown-crypto-bros? — for the very good reasons why law enforcement agencies really hate the controversial obscuring services. (To that end, however, mixers have effectively been banned in the US [since 2022]() as the result of a ruling against a popular mixing service dubbed Tornado Cash.) In any case, we definitely wouldn't be looking forward to any holidays at the Harmon household, at least not anytime soon. **More on crypto crimes:** [*Crypto Guy Forced to Sell Apes after Falling for Scam*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()