Trial nears for bitcoin beach boy bandits

One of the two “bitcoin boy bandits” is back on the beach.

In late January, two teenagers allegedly left homes near Pismo Beach, driving 10 hours before taking the Cactus Road exit of the Loop 101 to a Sweetwater Ranch home.

There, prosecutors say, Skylar LaPaille and Jackson Sullivan dressed as delivery workers to gain entry, then restrained and terrorized a Scottsdale couple, demanding millions in bitcoin.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Rueter set an Oct. 14 trial for LaPaille and Sullivan. The 17-year-olds face decades in prison, on charges of kidnapping, aggravated assault and burglary.

Only one remains in custody.

In April, LaPaille celebrated his 17th birthday at Durango Juvenile Detention Facility, where he completed high school and began taking college courses online.

In May, LaPaille asked for a second time to be released from detention and placed under electronic monitoring at his beach home.

Rueter again rejected the request, noting: “The victim opposes a modification of release conditions. The offenses were thoroughly planned and violent in nature.

“A ruse was used to gain entry into the home, the victims were bound and the victims were threatened and beaten … The weight of the evidence is substantial as (Lapaille) confessed to the crimes.”