Prosecutors Say the Suspects Handcuffed Victims, Stole Cash, and Cryptocurrency
Felony charges were filed against a former Los Angeles police officer and three other men tied to a violent home invasion and kidnapping for ransom in Koreatown last December, prosecutors said.
This is the second charge filed against Eric Benjamin “Ben” Halem this year. He and his brother, Jacob Halem, 32, of Tarzana, were arraigned on felony insurance fraud charges following an investigation by the California Department of Insurance. The investigation found the brothers allegedly filed a fraudulent auto insurance claim in an attempt to obtain benefits they were not entitled to receive.
He was on bail when he was arrested on the second charge.
Halem, 37, of Porter Ranch, is charged with kidnapping for ransom, first-degree residential robbery, and home invasion robbery in concert. Co-defendants Luis Banuelos, 27, of Jurupa Valley; Pierre Louis, 26, of Attleboro, Mass.; and Mishael Mann, 19, of Los Angeles face the same counts. Halem and Mann are held without bail; Banuelos and Louis are each held on $1.3 million.
Halem and Mann pleaded not guilty at arraignment Tuesday. Banuelos and Louis entered not guilty pleas on June 11. A preliminary hearing setting for all four is scheduled for Sept. 24 in Department 37 of the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.
Prosecutors allege that around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2024, Halem and Mann entered a Koreatown apartment, handcuffed two victims, transferred funds from a cryptocurrency account, and stole cash and jewelry before fleeing. Banuelos and Louis are accused of serving as getaway drivers.
“Whether you once wore a badge or not, if you take part in violent crimes, you will be held fully accountable,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in announcing the charges.
If convicted as charged, each defendant faces a potential life sentence in state prison. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jane Brownstone of the Organized Crime Division after an LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division investigation.
