Crypto isn’t doing so hot these days, and neither is one of the industry’s most bombastic influencers: Ben Armstrong, who was known as “BitBoy” until a messy dispute took away his title and, he alleges, his Lamborghini.
On Monday, Armstrong was arrested while trying to get his beloved car back in a wild live stream where he admitted to having a gun in the back seat of his vehicle.
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Armstrong was the face of the popular crypto YouTube brand BitBoy and is a flamboyant presence in the industry. He’s fond of sunglasses, designer tracksuits, and luxury cars—he made multiple posts on his Instagram about a Lamborghini Huracan that he called “his baby.” In YouTube videos under the “BitBoy” moniker, he describes himself as an “INSANE millionaire,” shoots guns, and receives a set of crypto-inspired teeth grills. Everything changed in late August when Hit Network, a crypto media company that owns the BitBoy brand, ousted Armstrong and alleged “emotional, physical and financial damage.” Armstrong alleges that the BitBoy brand was wrongfully taken from him, and that his former business partners also took his Lamborghini away.
Armstrong showed up at the home of an individual named Carlos Diaz who is allegedly associated with Hit Network on Monday night in an unhinged live stream that he teased on Twitter. “I’ll be going live soon from a very special location on YouTube so get ready this is going to be good,” he tweeted. Armstrong also claimed in a tweet that Diaz had custody of the Lamborghini.
In a stream from Monday that is still on Armstrong’s YouTube, he drove and danced to Soulja Boy’s 2007 hit “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” while shouting and making legal threats. “Ask me how I’m doing,” he said, before taking off his sunglasses and looking wildly at the camera. “I am doing better than ever right now while I know that my boss has basically extorted and blackmailed and launched a freakin’ coup,” he shouted.
In videos that circulated on Twitter later that evening, Armstrong—wearing the same clothes as in the earlier stream—live-streamed himself outside of Diaz’s home. That stream is currently not available on Armstrong’s YouTube channel.
Armstrong ranted in front of the home for several minutes, including shouting “I’m not scared of you, Carlos!” and saying that “Carlos has my Lamborghini right here in his garage.”
18 minutes into the video, Armstrong says, “Here come the police, guys,” and he appears to be arrested. Armstrong tells officers he has a gun in the back seat of his vehicle, and that “we’re live on YouTube right now,” with about 2,500 people watching. “My Lamborghini is in his garage right now,” he tells officers.
Armstrong lives in the Atlanta area, according to his LinkedIn. Motherboard called the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Department and a media relations officer confirmed that a Benjamin Charles Armstrong was arrested on Monday for simple assault as well as loitering and prowling. Bail was set at $2,600, and Armstrong has since been released. Armstrong made a tweet on Tuesday saying he had been in jail overnight for loitering.
“This is the hardest tweet I ever have had to make. I need to make a confession I never imagined I would admit I’m not even really sure if I have the courage to say it but I’m going to do my best. Here it goes: My name is Ben and I’m a loiterer. I did 8 whole hours in the slammer,” Armstrong tweeted. He said that he would continue his live streams on Tuesday.
