St Felix was convicted on 25 June for his involvement in violent crimes aimed at physically distressing US citizens and parting them away from their crypto. Investigators proved he was the leader of a gang that was involved in such an operation in various regions of the US and abroad between September 2022 and July 2023. 13 other co-conspirators in the US were also convicted for their involvement in the crimes.
“Remy St Felix, 24, of West Palm Beach, was a leader of a robbery crew that targeted cryptocurrency owners through violent home invasions. Between September 2022 and July 2023, St Felix helped to plan and orchestrate a series of robberies in Durham, North Carolina; Florida; Texas; and New York,” the Department of Justice’s (DoJ’s) statement read.
These robberies occurred after St Felix and others first accessed victims’ email accounts without their knowledge. They would pounce after conducting physical surveillance to break into targeted houses, hold individuals hostage inside their homes, and threaten violence to gain access to their crypto wallets and exchange accounts. The threats would often happen at gunpoint. Then, they would drain out all the funds and make a getaway.
The statement also mentioned, “They laundered the funds they stole through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies such as Monero, as well as “instant exchanges” and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct know-your-customer checks.” However, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Charlotte Field Office worked tirelessly to figure out the identities of St Felix and his associates and track their whereabouts to take them down.
St Felix was arrested in July 2023 as the FBI caught him on the way to commit another crime. This time, he was planning to execute a home invasion in New York. 13 others from the crew were also arrested around the same time. Everyone pleaded guilty.
St Felix has been sentenced to prison for a minimum mandatory period of 7 years and a maximum of life in prison. He will commence his sentence on 11 September. The jury found him guilty of various charges, including “nine counts relating to conspiracy, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, wire fraud, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence.”
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