John Daghita, a former US authorities contractor accused of stealing greater than $46 million in Bitcoin (BTC) from the US Marshals Service (USMS), was arrested late Wednesday on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, based on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Joint US-French Operation
The arrest was carried out in a joint operation involving US and French authorities. In a press release posted Thursday on X (beforehand Twitter), FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned Daghita was taken into custody by the French Gendarmerie’s elite tactical unit in coordination with the FBI.
Patel emphasised that the FBI will proceed to work across the clock with worldwide companions to pursue people accused of defrauding American taxpayers, no matter the place they try and evade authorities.
In accordance with stories, Daghita beforehand labored for Command Companies & Assist (CMDSS), a Virginia-based firm led by his father, Dean Daghita. Info from his now-deleted LinkedIn profile indicated he was employed by the agency, which held contracts with the US Marshals Service.
These contracts reportedly enabled the corporate to assist handle the digital belongings seized by federal legislation enforcement, which now type the nation’s strategic Bitcoin and crypto reserve.
Authorities concerned within the arrest reportedly found a briefcase containing money and a number of USB drives in Daghita’s possession. Investigators haven’t publicly detailed the contents of the gadgets or how they could relate to the alleged theft.
Bitcoin And Crypto Crimes In The Highlight
The case facilities on accusations that Daghita misappropriated greater than $46 million in Bitcoin and different cryptocurrency belongings that had been seized and had been beneath the management of the US Marshals Service.
But, Daghita’s arrest comes a few month after one other high-profile crypto crime case made headlines. In Arizona, authorities arrested two youngsters from California in reference to an alleged $66 million cryptocurrency plot that escalated right into a violent residence invasion.
The suspects, each beneath 18 and due to this fact not publicly recognized, allegedly posed as supply drivers to realize entry to a house in Scottsdale on January 31. Investigators say the teenagers pressured their means inside, restrained and assaulted two owners, and demanded entry to cryptocurrency holdings.
In the course of the incident, one of many victims reportedly denied proudly owning Bitcoin or any digital belongings. An grownup son inside the house was in a position to contact the police from one other room. Officers responded to the scene, prompting the suspects to flee. They had been later apprehended and brought into custody.
On the time of writing, Bitcoin was buying and selling at $70,919. This adopted Wednesday’s failure to climb again above $74,000, leading to a 3.5% retracement for the cryptocurrency inside a 24-hour interval.
Featured picture from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
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