Maryland Man Drugs Father to Access His $400,000 in Bitcoin

A Maryland resident spiked his father’s tea with drugs in order to access his cryptocurrency account, which held $400,000 worth of Bitcoin. 

Per The Washington Post, Liam Ghershony of Bethesda, Maryland slipped benzodiazepine, a type of depressant, into his father’s tea with the explicit intent to knock him unconscious. 

After his father passed out, Ghershony used his father’s phone to move $400,000 of Bitcoin to an account he could control. He later converted approximately 60% of these funds to Ethereum. 

“It didn’t have to be like this! I’m gonna give you the best retirement,” Ghershony wrote in a note he left behind for his father. 

His father, however, did not immediately wake up. 

After two days, a friend called the police, who later found him unresponsive in his bedroom. He took four days to recover from dehydration and acute organ dysfunction.  

“I did a lot of crazy and messed up stuff when I was using. I will carry that with me—the guilt and the shame. And I want to take that on as I throw myself into recovery,” Ghershony reportedly said in an interview.

$400,000 in Bitcoin at stake

Ghersony’s father—whose name has not been published—recalled being told by his son that he was “too emotional” and “too attached” to his crypto holdings. 

He also said that his son’s use of drugs—which included benzodiazepines and cocaine—led to him blacking out on a daily basis. 

“I thought I was going to lose him,” he told The Washington Post. He also recalled his son telling him he needed to sell his crypto. 

Ghershony became concerned about his father not responding to phone calls in the days after he was drugged, and let his father’s ex-girlfriend know of his worries. She, in turn, phoned the police. 

Prosecutors in the case reportedly found no evidence Ghershony was trying to kill his father. 

“However, there was an intent to inflict serious bodily injury by the drugging, by the causing him to be unconscious. But for the grace of God, Mr. Ghersonhy is still with us,” said Assistant State’s Attorney Donna Fenton in court. 

Where is Ghershony now?

Ghershony now lives in a group house with other individuals recovering from addiction. 

His father believes he is turning a corner. “If someone wants to meet him and they’re from the past, he tells them they have to meet him at a meeting,” he reportedly said. 

Ghershony’s mother, a public health professional, also reportedly sees a difference in her son. 

“I hear him being serious about treatment in a way that he’s never been. He’s back to being the kinder version of himself,” she said. 

“I definitely have said I’m sorry to my dad. But I feel like I can only say so much. I need to show him, and myself, through actions how much I’ve changed,” Ghershony added.