Sixty years ago, after recounting the comically disastrous “Sloop John B” voyage, the Beach Boys crooned:
“I wanna go home.”
After another calamitous trip, two modern-day beach boys each are begging, “won’t you let me go home?”
Don’t do it, a victim of a bungled home invasion countered.
Saying the screams of his wife still echo in his head, the Scottsdale victim insisted during a May 13 release-modification hearing “there’s no leniency that is warranted.”
A judge agreed with the Scottsdale victim, rejecting a return-to-California plea from Skylar LaPaille, one of the alleged “bitcoin beach boy bandits.”
A similar plea to allow LaPaille’s alleged partner-in-crime Jackson Sullivan to go home to California was also rejected.
The two must remain in Maricopa County as they await an Oct. 14 trial.
At the end of January, LaPaille and Sullivan left the Pismo Beach area for a long drive to Scottsdale.
Breaking into a Sweetwater Estates home, the two allegedly terrorized a resident and attempted to steal millions in cryptocurrency.
After Scottsdale Police officers arrested them, lawyers for the teens begged for them to be allowed to go home.
Since his mother posted bond, Sullivan has been free –but confined to Maricopa County. His lawyer said this is creating a hardship for his family, which would be solved if Sullivan can go back to California and await trial there.
A March 17 ruling rejected that, so Sullivan must remain in the Valley.
Meanwhile, with no one posting his bond, LaPaille is under confinement at the Durango Juvenile Detention Center.
On May 13, his attorney again stressed LaPaille was bullied and threatened into partaking in the crime.
The attorney asked Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey A. Rueter to slash LaPaille’s bail – and allow him to return to his beach town.
In written opposition to the return-to-California motions of the two, the prosecution noted, “The victims are still terrified by the defendants’ violent and deceitful behavior.”
The Progress is not publishing the names of the victims, who reside at a four-bedroom home near 96th Street and Cactus Road valued at $1.1 million.
The homeowner made a virtual appearance at LaPaille’s May 13 bond modification hearing.
“This is a very serious and outrageous crime,” the homeowner said.
“It wasn’t just the whim of a young man and his friend. They plan to travel, they plan to use deceit in disguise to impersonate a delivery man. They plan to assault me, they plan to use force to steal from me; they plan to kidnap me and my family by forcibly binding us … and it’s really outrageous to break into a home and beat people and rob them.”
He said he suffered a concussion, a broken rib, bruises and scrapes.
“But even worse than that is the trauma that my myself and my family have been experiencing over the last months. (The) physical pain was excruciating, and still continues, but the emotional pain is incredible,” the victim said.
“Mr. LaPaille was also assaulting my wife. I can still hear her screaming as this is all going on – and he was the primary person to be causing her to scream.”
The Scottsdale man noted the two allegedly fled from responding police officers, “so I would urge the court not to give them any leeway to flee again.”
On Jan. 31, Scottsdale Police officers say they chased Sullivan and LaPaille from a Sweetwater Ranch home where the two terrorized the homeowner and his wife.
After a high-speed chase ending in a sushi restaurant parking lot, officers arrested the two teens.
Sullivan refused to answer questions from the officers, telling them to talk to his attorney.
The eager-to-talk Lapaille, 16 at the time, allegedly told officers a mystery figure he knew only as “Red” threatened his family if he did not rob a targeted Scottsdale resident.
The day after they were arrested, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge set bail of $50,000 each for the release of Sullivan and LaPaille.
Sullivan’s mother, who listed her occupation as a technical writer, wired $50,000 to post bail for her son Feb. 2. He was released with an electronic bracelet – but ordered to remain in Maricopa County until his trial, originally slated for June but now scheduled for Oct. 14.
According to a court document regarding his alleged accomplice, “It is hereby ordered that Skylar LaPaille shall be released as indicated and must comply with all release conditions.”
But no one came forward to help Lapaille in the priority condition: “The defendant will deposit with the clerk of the above court the total sum of $50,000.”
The day after Lapaille celebrated his 17th birthday at Durango Juvenile Detention Facility, Nicholas Bustamante of Litwak Law Group filed a plea on LaPaille’s behalf, asking the court “to allow him to be released on his own recognizance, or in the alternative, lower his bond to a secured appearance bond of $20,000 with permission to reside in California with his grandmother.”
According to the motion, “Skylar’s entire family resides in Morro Bay, California.”
The attorney argued, “Review of the initial disclosures warrants revisiting Skylar’s release conditions.”
Bustamante insists the prosecution’s portrait of the crime supports LaPaille’s story:
“Skylar’s involvement was the result of coercion by other individuals rather than voluntary participation. Skylar has consistently maintained that he was directed to the victims’ residence and threatened with harm to his family if he refused to comply.”
LaPaille and Sullivan allegedly dressed as delivery drivers, ringing the home’s doorbell – then bursting in when the owner answered.
They allegedly pummeled the man, demanding he cough up $66 million in cryptocurrency.
The prosecution’s filings, according to LaPaille’s attorney, “corroborated that (the homeowner) was extorted by unknown individuals between four to eight times in the months preceding the charged incident. This extortion included the use of explicit photographs of (the homeowner) and his spouse being used to try and coerce (the homeowner) into releasing his crypto wallet information.”
The motion to alter his release terms stresses LaPaille has no criminal history and reiterates “the State’s disclosures indicate that Skylar… was significantly influenced by individuals encountered online who also threatened his loved ones.”
No details were provided by the attorney, who hinted much more is to come, as the defense team will be “investigating and addressing the extent of the coercion and duress employed over Skylar as the case proceeds.”
The attorney also is requesting the judge allow LaPaille to return to California.
He repeated his argument at the May 13 hearing.
“If released on the current bond, Skylar would be forced into a shelter or to live on the streets, as his current release prohibits him from leaving Arizona and he has no support within the state. In contrast, his grandparents in California are his sole source of financial support and are prepared to provide him with stable housing and supervision.”
LaPaille’s attorney also appealed to the sympathy of the court:
“Skylar is only 17 years old and currently isolated from his family and support system. Research overwhelmingly demonstrates that placing adolescents in detention, particularly pretrial detention, can cause significant and lasting harm.”
Without admitting his client’s guilt, the lawyer continues, “Skylar fully appreciates the seriousness of this matter. Since his incarceration, Skylar has taken steps toward rehabilitation, including participation in programming, completion of high school, and enrollment in classes at ASU.
“He will continue on this path if he is released.”
Bustamante attached to his motion a photo of LaPaille receiving a high school diploma through the ASU program, as well as an email from a program representative.
LaPaille has moved on to college courses, according to the email: “He completed his first course, PSY 101 Introduction to Psychology, with an A and has already started a second course, FIN 294 Fundamentals of Personal Finance.”
While at the juvenile detention center, LaPaille also was awarded a certificate for “owning my past actions.”
No go
Rueter issued his ruling May 14, the day after hearing arguments from the prosecutor and LaPaille’s defense attorney.
Noting, “the court has also considered the view of the victim,” the judge wrote:
“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 nature and circumstances of the offense also indicate that (LaPaille) poses a danger to others in the community.”
Noting “the weight of the evidence is substantial as (LaPaille) confessed to the crimes,” Rueter called the release conditions “not unreasonable.”
The judge thus issued an order “denying the motion to modify release conditions.”
An earlier plea to allow Sullivan to return to his homeland was also rejected.
The Scottsdale homeowner said he did not want the two to be allowed to leave the state “and connect with the third person involved.
“The male victim states that there is a $66-million price tag on his back.”
According to the prosecution document, at 10:44 a.m. Jan. 31, Scottsdale Police officers responded to a 911 call “and found a female with her hands bound by black tape and black tape around her head, covering her mouth. A male was found bound at the ankles on the ground in the house.”
The male victim told police intruders attacked him and demanded “access to his crypto wallet.”
The homeowner told police the two invaders “punched him in the stomach and one slammed his head and he had head, back, and foot (pain).”
One of the bandits called “a third male whom they put on speaker phone. The man on speaker phone demanded money and called them liars.”
The homeowner later told police “he believed this incident is related to a bitcoin issue he had several years ago. He said he invested in a crypto mining company years ago and was defrauded, losing a significant investment.”
The woman’s adult son was in the back of the house. She told police she yelled out in Chinese that they were being assaulted.
“The subjects then taped (the mother’s) mouth with duct tape.
“The son called 911.”
Responding within five minutes, officers chased the intruders. After running from the house, the two allegedly jumped in a blue Subaru Outback.
When officers attempted to pull the car over, “The vehicle accelerated away, making evasive maneuvers and did not yield.”
At times driving on the wrong side of the road and “nearly causing traffic collisions,” the Subaru raced along Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard.
The Loop 101 was in sight as they neared Pima Road, but the alleged bandits apparently made a wrong turn, ending up at a dead end in front of Yen Sushi.
Officers put the teenagers in handcuffs.
“Skylar said he met Jackson a few days prior and they were both from California and drove to Arizona together in Jackson’s blue Subaru Outback, arriving around (5 a.m.),” according to the prosecution summary.
The arrest report states LaPaille said Sulivan asked “if he wanted to make $66 million in cryptocurrency by going to Scottsdale, tie people up, and get them to give their cryptocurrency.”
According to the prosecution’s response to the motion to reduce bail, “Skylar said he was operating under instructions to steal cryptocurrency from (the Scottsdale homeowner) at his residence. Skylar said after arriving and having breakfast, the license plate on the Subaru was switched with a different Subaru that was parked in an unknown residence driveway in Scottsdale.
“Skylar claimed that his IP address was hacked by an unknown user by the name of ‘Red’ and another named ‘8.’ Red/8 told Skylar to complete this task, or his grandparents and other family members would be harmed.”
According to the arrest report, as the break-in was taking place, Sullivan’s mother called police in California “because she had found text messages on his phone in regard to dressing up like UPS, committing a burglary, and splitting the proceeds of the crime. An address in Scottsdale, AZ, down the street from the actual incident location was provided in the text messages.”
That California police department “then called Scottsdale PD to notify them of the possible burglary,” according to the report.
“SPD received that information after the incident had occurred.”
After his mother posted bond, Sullivan is relatively free – albeit wearing a monitoring device – and attending a Valley high school.
Yet Sullivan apparently pines for a return to the Pismo Beach area.
“Mr. Sullivan respectfully requests that the Court allow him to reside in California while this case is pending,” his attorney wrote.
After vigorous opposition from the prosecution, the motion to allow Sullivan to leave Maricopa County was rejected.
Charges against the alleged beach boy bitcoin bandits include: burglary in the second degree, a class 3 felony; two counts of aggravated assault, class 6 felonies; two counts of kidnapping, class 2 felonies; possession of burglary tools, a class 6 felony; and fraudulent schemes and artifices, a class 2 felony.