The son of a federal contractor has been arrested and charged with allegedly stealing approximately $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service. John Daghita was apprehended on the Caribbean island of St. Martin, carrying a briefcase filled with cash, hard drives, and security keys.
Daghita's father is the president of CMDSS, a firm providing critical services to federal agencies, including the Justice Department and Department of Defense. The alleged theft was first brought to light by blockchain investigator ZachXBT, who linked the stolen funds to cryptocurrency seized in the 2016 Bitfinex hack.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the arrest was a result of a joint operation with French authorities. He emphasized the FBI's commitment to working with international partners to apprehend individuals who defraud American taxpayers.
ZachXBT's investigation, released in January, reportedly showed Daghita bragging about the stolen funds and moving cryptocurrency to prove his possession of significant wealth. The funds were traced to cryptocurrency seized from the Bitfinex hack.