Made You Say There Is No Bitcoin Gang Anymore: They Kidnapped People and Forced them to Transact!

A US-based Bitcoin gang has been accused of breaking into people's homes and extorting transactions.

A notice recently released by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) included the activities of a Florida-based Bitcoin gang.

The DOJ pointed out that a gang led by 24-year-old Remy St Felix broke into people's homes several times between September 2022 and July 2023, kidnapping residents and forcing them to transfer cryptocurrency.

They stole more than $150,000 in crypto at once

St Felix planned and directed a series of robberies in Durham, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and New York between September 2022 and July 2023. Victims were kidnapped from their homes and forced to empty their cryptocurrency accounts.

According to reports, in April 2023, St Felix and an accomplice broke into a victim's home, handcuffed him and threatened him with a gun, then transferred more than $150,000 in cryptocurrency from his accounts.

The leader and 13 accomplices were caught

As a result of extensive tracking and investigation, St Felix and his 13 accomplices were caught by the FBI in July 2023. Evidence presented in court revealed that St Felix and his team gained unauthorized access to their targets' email accounts and conducted physical surveillance.

St Felix's conviction was for nine counts, including conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and use of a weapon to commit violent crimes.

St Felix, who will be sentenced in September 2024, could serve a wide range of sentences, from seven years to life imprisonment.

According to evidence, the stolen funds were laundered through anonymous cryptocurrencies such as Monero (XMR) and non-authenticating platforms.