Leader of violent cryptocurrency theft ring convicted, could face life sentence

According to the Department of Justice, on Tuesday (June 25), a 24-year-old man from West Palm Beach, Remy St. Felix, was convicted by a federal jury in North Carolina for leading a series of violent home invasions aimed at stealing cryptocurrency.

The DOJ stated that Remy St. Felix, 24, was the ringleader of a robbery gang that targeted cryptocurrency owners through violent home invasions.

Remy St. Felix currently faces nine charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, wire fraud, and brandishing firearms to facilitate his crypto crimes.

The case is scheduled for sentencing on September 11, where St. Felix faces a minimum of seven years and up to life in prison.

Case Details

FBI Investigation Uncovers Multi-State Crypto Crimes

Court documents and trial evidence reveal that St. Felix and his accomplices conducted home invasions across several states, including North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and New York. Between December 2022 and July 2023, the gang used physical violence, kidnapping, and threats to intimidate victims, forcing them to access and transfer their cryptocurrency to the perpetrators.

One notable incident occurred on April 12, 2023, when St. Felix and his accomplice Elmer Ruben Castro forcibly entered an elderly couple’s home, zip-tying the victims and demanding access to their crypto accounts. The FBI reported that the suspects transferred $156,853 worth of cryptocurrency within the next 45 minutes.

The brutality of the kidnappings was outlined in a press release from the U.S. Attorney on Tuesday and previous criminal complaints: the elderly couple was zip-tied, the wife was dragged across the floor by her feet, and the suspects threatened to cut off the husband’s toes and genitals, shoot him, and rape his wife. The husband was struck on the head during the abduction.

According to Robert M. DeWitt, special agent in charge of the FBI Charlotte Field Office: "The crimes committed by this violent cryptocurrency theft gang are shocking. They held victims hostage and stole Hundreds of millions of dollars from their crypto accounts."

Arrest of the Criminals

The DOJ reported that the FBI arrested St. Felix in July 2023 while he was en route to New York for another home invasion. Thirteen of St. Felix’s accomplices, including members of his home invasion gang, were also arrested and later admitted to their roles in the scheme.

St. Felix and his accomplices in the U.S. and abroad used encrypted messaging apps to communicate their targets and money laundering activities.

The DOJ stated that before the robberies, St. Felix and his accomplices accessed the victims' email accounts and conducted physical surveillance.

The gang then laundered the proceeds through privacy-enhanced cryptocurrencies like Monero.

The arrests were carried out by the FBI Charlotte Field Office, with assistance from several other field offices and local police departments.

Timothy Langan, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch, said after the arrests: "We are proud of the work that led to today’s conviction, which should serve as a warning to others who wish to engage in similar activities: we will not stop until you face the consequences of your actions."

Jury Conviction

The case was convicted by a federal jury in North Carolina on Tuesday (June 25). Sandra J. Hairston, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said: "In this case, the victims endured horrific and painful experiences that no citizen should have to endure."

"The actions of the defendant and his accomplices were purely driven by greed, and they ruthlessly intimidated those they targeted. The jury's verdict represents an important step in delivering justice for these victims."