A federal jury in Florida has found Remy St. Felix guilty of conducting numerous violent home invasions to steal crypto of his victims, targeting multiple states over several months.
St. Felix faces nine offenses, including conspiracy, kidnapping, Hobbs Act theft, wire fraud, and brandishing a firearm to facilitate the commission of his crypto-targeted crimes.
St. Felix’s conviction on June 25 was the result of a trial that revealed his leadership role in an international conspiracy to obtain crypto assets from United States (U.S.) citizens.
The U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, Sandra J. Hairstone, stated in a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice:
“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.”
Investigation Reveals Multi-state Crypto Offenses
According to court documents and trial evidence, St. Felix and his conspirators perpetrated home intrusions in numerous states, including Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and New York.
The crime gang employed physical violence, kidnapping, and threats to intimidate their victims, thereby compelling them to access and transmit their crypto holdings to the perpetrators from December 2022 to July 2023.
On April 12, 2023, St. Felix and his accomplice, Elmer Ruben Castro, forcibly entered a residence, zip-tied their victims, and demanded access to their crypto accounts. This incident was particularly noteworthy.
Conducting Inquiries
The Charlotte Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) handled the investigation, with the assistance of numerous other field offices and municipal police departments.
They discovered that St. Felix and his accomplices had concealed their activities by employing sophisticated money-laundering methods and encrypted communication.
Nevertheless, investigators established a connection between the criminal gang’s activities, apprehended the perpetrators, and held them accountable.
Timothy Langan, the Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, stated:
“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.”
