The post Florida Man Convicted in Violent Crypto Theft Spree appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.

Remy St Felix, of West Palm Beach, has been convicted on charges including conspiracy, kidnapping, and other crimes of violence for leading a multi-state gang that stole hundreds of millions in cryptocurrency through home invasions. The scale of the Crime 24-year-old Florida resident Remy St Felix has been convicted for masterminding an international conspiracy involving home invasions, violent kidnappings, and assaults to steal Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from U.S. citizens. According to Chainalysis, $1.7 billion in crypto was stolen last year, primarily through remote hacking of wallets and exchanges. However, physical thefts involving direct confrontation are significantly underreported. St Felix’s case stands out due to the aggressive and violent nature of the crimes. The Conspiracy and Charges Between September 2022 and July 2023, St Felix led a robbery crew that specifically targeted cryptocurrency owners through violent home invasions across multiple states, including North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and New York. Court documents reveal that victims were kidnapped in their homes, assaulted, and coerced into draining their cryptocurrency accounts. St Felix was found guilty on nine counts, including conspiracy, kidnapping, and using a firearm to further crimes of violence. He is set to be sentenced on September 11, facing a prison term ranging from seven years to life. Details of the Operation Prosecutors detailed that St Felix and his gang meticulously planned their attacks. They hacked into email accounts and conducted physical surveillance of their targets. They communicated using encrypted messaging platforms, aiming to obscure their activities.  Once the stolen funds were obtained, they were laundered through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies like Monero and instant exchanges such as Changelly, Shapeshift, and ChangeNOW, which do not require know-your-customer (KYC) procedures. One such incident occurred in April 2023, when St Felix and a co-conspirator forcibly entered a victim’s home. The attackers zip-tied the victim, held them…

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Filed under: News - @ June 28, 2024 9:14 pm