Leader of gang convicted for threatening, assaulting, torturing and kidnapping victims to rob cryptocurrency
On June 25, 2024, a court in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA, found Remy Felix, a Florida resident, guilty of breaking into users' homes to steal virtual currency, assaulting them, and then threatening them into sending the virtual currency.
Office of Public Affairs | Man Convicted of Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal Cryptocurrency | United States Department of Justice
Florida Man Convicted for Violent Kidnapping, Assault and Crypto-Stealing Scheme - The Daily Hodl
Felix, the leader of the theft ring, is alleged to have engaged in group break-ins at homes in several states, including Florida and Texas, between September 2022 and July 2023, and threatened, assaulted, and kidnapped victims before forcing them to transfer virtual currency to his wallet.
According to court documents, after breaking into the victims' homes, Felix and his gang of thieves threatened to cut off their fingers and genitals and assaulted them by pressing a hot iron against them.
In an actual incident that occurred in April 2023, it was reported that Felix and another group broke into a residence, tied the victim with a rope, and pointed a gun at the victim and her family to steal $150,000 (approximately 24 million yen) worth of cryptocurrency. In another incident, Felix and his group pointed a handgun and a rifle at the victim and her family, threatening them to tell them the password to a cryptocurrency exchange. When the victim, who had previously been hacked, refused to reveal the password, Felix and his group stole an engagement ring, smartphone, laptop, cash, and other items from the victim's home and left.
According to the Department of Justice report, Felix and his associates hacked into the email accounts of their targets and conducted surveillance before committing the crimes. After stealing the cryptocurrency, they laundered the stolen funds by converting it into more anonymous cryptocurrencies such as Monero, or by using instant exchanges and decentralized platforms that do not perform customer verification. Felix and his associates also used the encrypted messaging application 'Telegram' to communicate with their targets about how to launder the money.
However, Felix was arrested in New York by the FBI in July 2023. Thirteen of his co-conspirators were later arrested and pleaded guilty to a total of 11 crimes.
At Felix's trial on June 25, 2024, a jury found him guilty of nine charges, including conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery under the Hobbs Act, wire fraud, and handling a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Felix will be sentenced on September 11, 2024, and will face a minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, depending on the Sentencing Guidelines and statutory factors imposed by a federal district court judge.
'Felix and his co-conspirators committed brutal crimes, including burglary, kidnapping and assault, in order to steal cryptocurrency,' said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, Director of the Justice Department's Criminal Division. 'Today's sentence serves as a reminder that violent criminals will always be brought to justice, no matter how technically sophisticated their crimes.'
Sandra Hairston, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina, said, 'The victims in this case have suffered horrific and painful experiences. This defendant and his co-conspirators committed these crimes out of pure greed and inflicted terror on those they targeted. Today's sentence is an important step toward securing justice for these victims.'
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