- One user took it to the media. The bad publicity got the attention of top executives, who pressured the accounts team to resolve the situation.
- One user actually just made contact with a well-placed executive and explained the situation. (In your case, that might even be a moderator.)
Also, you're not the only person I've heard who's had trouble with Reddit's account policy. If you could find others like yourself, it'd be a more interesting story for the media, or more likely to get an executive's attention.
I wondered if it could be an "inside job". (Someone disabling 2FA just long enough to log in?) Reddit ticked off its moderators earlier this month, though I'm not sure they'd have have the power to do this.