Florida man convicted in cryptocurrency theft home invasions

Josh O"Sullivan1 hour agoFlorida man convicted in cryptocurrency theft home invasionsRemy St. Felix of West Palm Beach led violent home invasions to steal cryptocurrencies, targeting multiple states over several months.419 Total viewsListen to article 0:00NewsOwn this piece of crypto historyCollect this article as NFTJoin us on social networksA federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, has convicted Remy St. Felix, 24, of West Palm Beach, Florida, of leading multiple violent home invasions aimed at stealing victims’ cryptocurrencies.

St. Felix faced nine counts, including conspiracy, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, wire fraud and brandishing a firearm to help carry out his crypto-targeted crimes.

The conviction of St. Felix on June 25 followed a trial that exposed his leadership position in an international conspiracy to target United States citizens for their crypto assets.

According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Sandra Hairstone, U.S. attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, stated:“The victims in this case suffered a horrible, painful experience that no citizen should have to endure [...] The defendant and his co-conspirators acted purely out of greed and callously terrorized those they targeted.”

Related:Nigeria rejects claims of poor prison conditions, health for Binance execFBI investigation uncovers multistate crypto crimes

Court documents and trial evidence show that St. Felix and his conspirators carried out home invasions across multiple states, including North Carolina, Florida, Texas and New York.

Between December 2022 to July 2023, the crime gang used physical violence, kidnapping and threats to intimidate their victims, forcing them to access and transfer their crypto holdings to the perpetrators.

One notable incident occurred on April 12, 2023, when St. Felix and his accomplice, Elmer Ruben Castro, forcibly entered a home, zip-tied their victims and demanded access to their crypto accounts.United States vs. Seemungal indictment (screenshot). Source: CourtListener

Related:FCA busts suspects in $1.2B illegal crypto asset businessInvestigative efforts

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Charlotte Field Office led the investigation, assisted by several other field offices and local police departments. 

They discovered that St. Felix and his accomplices had covered up their tracks using sophisticated money-laundering techniques and encrypted communication.

Related: Fake ID crypto exchange sign-ups attract 2-year prison sentence

However, investigators connected the crime gang’s activities, arrested the criminals and held them accountable. 

Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch said:“We are proud of the work that led to today’s conviction, which should act as a warning to others looking to participate in similar activity that we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions.”

Magazine:Crypto game rewards not ‘crucial,’ Farmville creator makes case for beta releases: Web3 Gamer# Cryptocurrencies# Law# Crimes# Tokens# RegulationAdd reaction