Scottish High Court Sentences Three Men Over £2M Prison-Directed Crypto Plot

The High Court in Glasgow sentenced Robert Barr, Sean Favier, and Iain Doyle to prison terms after the group pled guilty to involvement in serious organized crime and attempting to steal up to £2 million in cryptocurrency ¹. Barr received an eight-year sentence, while Doyle was sentenced to five years and Favier received four years ¹.

Presiding judge Lord Cubie stated that Barr orchestrated the scheme from inside a prison cell using illicit communication channels, directing Doyle and Favier to target the victims' residence ¹. The planned robbery involved gaining entry to the house and compelling the resident to download AnyDesk remote-access software onto a personal computer ¹. Barr intended to seize control of the victims' machine remotely to transfer funds out of their cryptocurrency hardware wallet and into addresses under his control ¹.

Failed Break-In

The operation followed months of reconnaissance, surveillance, and messaging that contemplated potential threats and violence ¹. On April 17, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Favier and Doyle arrived at the target property dressed in dark clothing with their faces obscured ¹. The plot collapsed when the residents saw the pair via an intercom camera system and refused to open the front door, prompting both men to flee the premises ¹.

Physical confrontations and coercive attempts targeting digital asset holders have drawn heightened scrutiny across legal jurisdictions, mirroring similar cases such as Texas brothers sentenced to 15-year terms in an $8 million crypto robbery. Lord Cubie highlighted that Barr was already serving a 21-month sentence for cryptocurrency fraud when he arranged the operation ¹. The court is scheduled to consider a serious crime prevention order regarding Barr on Nov. 17, 2026 ¹.