A former Los Angeles police officer with a prior criminal case is now accused of taking part in a violent home invasion and kidnapping for ransom that prosecutors say targeted two people in the middle of the night.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, 37-year-old Eric Halem of Porter Ranch allegedly entered a Koreatown apartment with another man around 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 28, 2024. The two are accused of handcuffing the victims, transferring funds from their cryptocurrency account, and stealing cash and jewelry before fleeing.
LAPD reserve officer, brother charged with insurance fraud in Bentley crash
Prosecutors say two additional suspects waited outside as getaway drivers. All four were later arrested and charged.
Halem, who previously served as a reserve officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, has faced legal trouble before. Earlier this year, state officials charged him and his brother in an alleged luxury car insurance fraud scheme involving a Bentley convertible.
At the time, the California Department of Insurance accused him of falsifying an accident report and submitting staged photos to support a claim. LAPD records show he was removed from the department in March 2025…