John Daguita, a former US government contractor accused of stealing more than $46 million in Bitcoin (BTC) from the US Marshals Service (USMS), was arrested on the Caribbean island of St. Martin on Wednesday, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Joint operations of the USA and France
The arrest was made in a joint operation with the participation of the US and French authorities. In the statement is set On Thursday X (formerly Twitter), FBI director Kash Patel said that Dagitha was arrested by the elite tactical unit of the French gendarmerie in coordination with the FBI.
Patel stressed that the FBI will continue to work around the clock with international partners to pursue those accused of defrauding American taxpayers, regardless of how they attempt to evade authorities.
according to informsDagita previously worked for Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a Virginia company headed by his father, Dean Dagita. Information from a now-deleted LinkedIn profile shows he worked for a company that contracts with the U.S. Marshals Service.
According to reports, these contracts allowed the company to manage digital assets were confiscated by federal law enforcement agencies that now constitute the nation’s strategic Bitcoin and cryptographic reserve.
According to reports, during the arrest, authorities discovered a briefcase containing cash and several USB drives in Dagitha’s possession. Investigators have not publicly detailed the contents of the devices or how they may be related to the alleged theft.
Bitcoin and crypto crimes in the spotlight
The case centers on allegations of misappropriation of more than $46 million in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrency assets that were seized and placed under the control of the US Marshals Service.
However, Dagita’s arrest comes almost a month after another high-profile incident crypto criminal case made headlines. In Arizona, authorities arrested two California teenagers in connection with an alleged $66 million home invasion scheme.
The suspects, who are under the age of 18 and have not been identified, allegedly posed as delivery drivers to enter a home in Scottsdale on Jan. 31. Investigators say the teenagers entered the home, restrained and assaulted the two homeowners and demanded access to the home. cryptocurrency assets.
During the incident, one of the victims reportedly denied having Bitcoin or digital assets. The adult son, who was inside the house, was able to call the police from another room. Officers responded to the scene and forced the suspects to flee. They were later arrested and taken into custody.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $70,919. This followed Wednesday’s failure to break above $74,000, resulting in a 3.5% drop for the cryptocurrency in 24 hours.
Featured image from OpenArt, chart from TradingView.com
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