Florida Man Convicted in Cryptocurrency Theft and Kidnapping Scheme

Remy St. Felix, a 24-year-old resident of West Palm Beach, Florida, has been found guilty of orchestrating a criminal enterprise focused on stealing cryptocurrency through a series of violent home invasions and kidnappings across multiple states from September 2022 to July 2023.

According to a recent press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), St. Felix led a burglary crew that systematically targeted individuals known to possess significant amounts of cryptocurrency. The modus operandi involved invading their homes, abducting the victims, and coercing them into transferring and emptying their digital wallets. To facilitate these crimes, St. Felix and his associates employed sophisticated tactics such as hacking into victims’ email accounts and conducting extensive physical surveillance beforehand.

Following the thefts, the group laundered the stolen funds using privacy-enhanced digital assets like Monero (XMR) and decentralized exchange platforms that operate without strict know-your-customer (KYC) regulations, alongside quick “instant exchanges.”

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, emphasized the severity of the crimes, stating, “St Felix and his co-conspirators targeted victims across the United States for brutal home invasions, kidnappings, and robberies in order to steal cryptocurrency. Although the members of this violent conspiracy tried to cover their tracks through encrypted communication and anonymous financial transactions, they were not beyond the reach of our dedicated investigators and prosecutors.”

In a particularly harrowing incident in April 2023, St. Felix and an accomplice forcibly entered a residence, restrained the occupants with zip ties, brandished firearms, and threatened the victims and their spouse while absconding with approximately $150,000 worth of cryptocurrencies.

St. Felix’s criminal activities came to an end when he was apprehended by law enforcement in July 2023 while en route to commit another home invasion. Following a trial, he was convicted on nine criminal charges. The sentencing phase awaits, with potential penalties ranging from a minimum of seven years in prison to a maximum term of life imprisonment.