A court in North Carolina has found a 24-year-old man guilty of conducting multiple housebreaking crimes. Remy St. Felix was accused of breaking into people’s homes to steal Bitcoin and other crypto assets.
Unlike other robbers, Felix targeted the homes of wealthy crypto investors and individuals who owned substantial digital property.
Florida Resident Charges for Home Invasion
A review of the court report demonstrated that Felix led other criminals to steal peoples’ homes. Felix operated his illegal activities from September 2022 to July 2023.
Even though the court did not disclose the exact amount of crypto stolen, Felix and his team deployed various tactics to rob the victim. Reports show Felix targeted wealthy investors from Durham, Florida, Texas, New York, and North Carolina.
To conduct their unlawful activities, Felix forced the victims to transfer their crypto assets to his account. The criminal used forceful tactics such as kidnapping the victims to demand ransom for their release.
Also, Felix broke into people’s homes to steal their crypto assets. In April, Felix was accused of invading a couple’s home to steal $150,000 worth of crypto.
Criminals Engage in Home Breaking to Steal Crypto Assets
The incident turned grievous after the criminals tied the couple with zip ties, forcing them to transfer their crypto assets to Felix and the team. A report from the prosecutor demonstrated that St. Felix and the team used advanced techniques to identify their potential targets.
The criminal leveraged their expertise to gain unauthorized access to email accounts and other confidential documents. The court claimed that Felix’s robbery was among the most dangerous thefts since it involved monitoring victims’ physical location.
The prosecutors noted that Felix and his accomplice implemented encryption and anonymous financial transaction methods to conceal their unlawful activities.
Due to the complexity of the crime, the law enforcers collaborated with the federal bureau of Investigation (FBI) to bring down St Felix and his team. The Department of Justice reported in July 2023 that St. Felix and their team were arrested in New York.
Rise of Crypto Crime
Felix was arrested with thirteen other suspects who were charged of home invasion and other criminal activities.
In his recent arraignment, St Felix was found guilty of nine criminal counts, including kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, wire fraud, kidnapping, and brandishing a gun to threaten the victims.
Due to damages caused by St. Felix’s misconduct, the court might subject the criminal to a seven years imprisonment or life sentence. The court is expected to sentence St Felix on September 11.
The arrest and conviction of St. Felix came at a time when global law enforcers had stepped up to combat crypto crime.
According to Chainalysis, crypto crime dropped from $3.7 billion in 2022 to $1.7 billion in 2023. The Chainalysis report shows that hacking incidents have increased from 2019 to 231 year over year.
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