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US sentences 12 in $3.5M crypto heist with violent home invasions

GrafaGrafa2024/09/15 09:10
By:Isaac Francis

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has handed down sentences to 12 people involved in a series of violent home invasions targeting cryptocurrency theft. 

Remy Ra St Felix, identified as the ringleader, has been sentenced to 47 years in prison, while his associate, Seemungal, received a 20-year sentence. 

The DOJ highlighted the severity of the crimes, noting, “The victims were held at gunpoint in their home,” and described how one man “was abducted, held hostage, and beaten before the man was found by law enforcement 120 miles from his home.”

These sentences follow an extensive investigation revealing a complex scheme that allowed the group to pull off their heists. 

Using SIM swapping techniques, they took control of victims’ phone numbers to access cryptocurrency accounts. 

Once they had access, the criminals invaded homes, held victims at gunpoint, and tied them up, forcing them to surrender their digital wallets. 

According to the DOJ, “They forced the man to provide access to his computer and cryptocurrency exchange account. Seemungal then remotely accessed the computer and stole over $150,000 worth of cryptocurrency.”

The stolen digital assets were laundered through various means, including privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, instant exchanges, and decentralised finance (DeFi) platforms that don’t require identity verification, allowing them to stay under the radar.

The crimes stretched across several states, targeting families in Florida and Texas. 

Victims were held captive for hours; some were abducted and taken far from their homes. 

In one instance, a man and his family were held at gunpoint in their home in Homestead, Florida. 

The man was later abducted and found 120 miles away.

Seemungal, one of the main conspirators, received a 20-year prison term and five years of supervised release. 

He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $4,038,479.39. 

He admitted guilt in December 2023 for his involvement in both hacking cryptocurrency accounts and the subsequent home invasions.

In total, nine other members of the group were sentenced for conspiracy to commit kidnapping, with others also facing lengthy prison terms for their roles in the crimes. 

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