Florida Man Sentenced to 47 Years for Leading Crypto-Theft and Kidnapping Scheme

A 25-year-old Florida man, Remy Ra St. Felix, has been sentenced to 47 years in prison for orchestrating a violent crypto-theft operation involving home invasions, kidnapping, and assault. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), St. Felix led a crew that targeted cryptocurrency investors, stealing millions in digital assets between September 2022 and April 2023.

The DOJ detailed how St. Felix initially joined the scheme under the direction of co-conspirator Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, who had been using SIM swapping to steal cryptocurrencies since 2020. SIM swapping involves fraudulently changing the phone number linked to an account, allowing the hacker to take control of the victim’s online accounts, including cryptocurrency wallets.

As the scheme escalated, St. Felix took control of the operation, moving from digital theft to physical home invasions. He and his team invaded the homes of crypto investors, holding them at gunpoint and demanding access to their digital wallets. In some cases, victims were kidnapped or assaulted to force them to hand over their assets.

Laundering Stolen Crypto Through Anonymous Platforms

After robbing victims, the criminals laundered the stolen funds using privacy-focused cryptocurrencies and decentralized exchanges (DEX) with no know-your-customer (KYC) regulations. These anonymous platforms made it difficult for authorities to track the stolen assets.

Over the course of the scheme, St. Felix and his associates stole over $3.5 million from various victims. In addition to St. Felix’s lengthy prison sentence, 12 others involved in the operation have also been convicted.

St. Felix was convicted by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, following a six-day trial in June 2023. Along with his 47-year prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution to his victims and will serve five years of supervised release upon completing his sentence.