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One cybercriminal of presumably the most violent form will utilize his finest years on the again of bars, as will 11 of his thug friends for a string of cryptocurrency robberies within the US.
Remy Ra St Felix was discovered guilty of leading and taking half in a starring role in his gang of law-breakers earlier this yr and would possibly maybe possibly maybe level-headed now utilize the subsequent 47 years in penal advanced. There are 5 years of supervised release tacked on the pause of that, plus an assure to pay bigger than $524 million in restitution. He was convicted of nine counts referring to to conspiracy, kidnapping, Hobbs Act robbery, wire fraud, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of crimes of violence.
The 25-yr-passe Floridian’s exploits date again to 2020 and in that time he and his gang members stole bigger than $3.5 million from assorted victims all the intention via totally different states.
Amongst the extra chilling crimes in St Felix’s wide rap sheet was a 2023 home invasion targeting an elderly married couple in North Carolina. St Felix and a chum deceived the couple into allowing them to into their home forward of zip-tying their limbs and holding them at gunpoint over a exquisite sum of cryptocurrency.
The gang had researched the couple prior to the assault and knew that they had sturdy wallets. The ordeal led to the theft of crypto tokens valued on the time at bigger than $150,000.
Court paperwork depicted a harrowing scene in which St Felix and co allegedly threatened to gash off the man’s toes and genitals, shoot him, and rape the woman except he was granted get entry to to their cryptocurrency wallet.
Announcing the sentencing on Friday, the Department of Justice stated this was no longer an isolated incident, and that holding victims at gunpoint was a odd theme of St Felix’s criminal activity.
A equivalent assault was achieved just a number of months earlier in December 2022 in Little Elm, Texas. This time, a man was centered by St Felix, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, and 6 Houston-based thugs.
The man and his family were restrained and held at gunpoint for bigger than three hours, for the duration of which time stated man and his mother were tortured. Just treasure with the elderly couple in North Carolina, around $150,000 value of cryptocurrency was stolen, as were two Rolex watches and totally different precious jewelry.
The incident followed one more in 2022. In Delray Coastline, Florida, a total family was held at gunpoint while a member of the family was abducted, beaten, and later discovered 120 miles (193 km) from the home.
Seemungal was stated to bear devised the home invasion plan in 2022, with St Felix later taking the reins after on the origin handiest being recruited as a lowly crew member.
The pair’s criminal activity started in 2020, on the other hand. They within the origin started as non-violent SIM-swappers, stealing cryptocurrencies from victims’ crypto alternate accounts with the assist of friends overseas forward of they got a taste for bloodier solutions.
This all came no longer lengthy after prosecutors in 2018 dropped charges in opposition to St Felix reportedly that integrated attempted first-stage extinguish, aggravated assault with a firearm, and armed robbery.
Just two months after the assault on the elderly couple in North Carolina, St Felix drove to Lengthy Island, Original York, from Florida, allegedly to strive one more home invasion on a family of 5, but was arrested en route. He was touring with two firearms and cable ties.
St Felix, Seemungal, et al all communicated by the use of an encrypted messaging app. They’d realizing assaults together, discussing the finest ways to smash into the homes they selected to invade, the targets’ day-to-day actions, and the tools required for the job.
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Seemungal, who alongside St Felix was sentenced to a lengthy 20-yr penal advanced stint plus 5 years supervised release, and ordered to pay bigger than $4 million in restitution, furthermore outdated the app to coordinate the purchase of resources most principal for assaults with international accomplices. These integrated resort rooms, weapons, and condominium automobiles.
Eight of St Felix’s and Seemungal’s cronies pleaded guilty in Would possibly possibly maybe well well, every incomes themselves assorted spells in penal advanced between 12 and 25 years in dimension, plus assorted six-prefer restitution orders as excessive as $524,153.39. Every other pleaded guilty too and is due to be sentenced on October 1.
Two members of the Houston crew were sentenced to 5 and eight years in penal advanced respectively, and ordered to pay $355,800 in restitution every. ®
