They Knew Exactly What They Wanted – And They Took Every Last Bit of Crypto!

Cybercriminals have become experts at breaking into online accounts to steal cryptocurrency. But in a shocking twist, one gang went beyond the virtual world and used real-life violence to rob crypto owners. Instead of relying solely on online scams, this group physically broke into victims’ homes, assaulted them, and forced them to transfer their digital assets.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that the majority of this gang had been sentenced. One of the leaders, 25-year-old Remy Ra St Felix, received a 47-year prison sentence for his role in these brutal robberies. The Justice Department revealed that, over a span of two years, the gang managed to steal over $3.5 million from multiple victims using both physical home invasions and sophisticated online SIM-swapping techniques.

One particularly horrifying incident occurred in North Carolina. The gang, dressed as construction workers, knocked on the door of a home, pretending to inspect local pipes. Once inside, they “violently assaulted” the couple living there. According to Ars Technica, after beating the man and threatening his wife with sexual violence, they forced him to log into his Coinbase account. Using remote access software called AnyDesk, the criminals took control of his account and began transferring his funds into their own accounts. They managed to steal $156,853 before Coinbase froze the transfers. After the robbery, the couple alerted their neighbors, leading to an investigation.

For their part in the home invasion, the two men who broke into the house each received $22,267.65. The rest of the stolen money, $112,000, was divided among the other members of the cybercriminal gang.

This gang didn’t stop at just one break-in. They targeted homes in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida, as well as Little Elm, Texas. They had also planned more robberies in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, and even Georgia. According to the Justice Department, the criminals used an encrypted messaging app to discuss their plans. They talked about potential targets, how to break into homes, the tools needed, and the details of cryptocurrency technology. They even shared pictures of their victims and their homes, ensuring they had everything planned down to the smallest detail.

Despite their elaborate planning and mafia-like approach, the gang failed to account for one crucial detail—how easily cryptocurrency can be traced. In recent years, the government has developed advanced tools to track digital assets across the internet. Even though the criminals used “anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies” to try to hide their tracks, law enforcement still managed to identify most of the people involved.

One glaring mistake involved one of the home invaders who, on the same day as the robbery, opened a Coinbase account using a government-issued ID. This made it even easier for investigators to trace the digital funds and link the crime directly to the individuals involved.

The Justice Department’s recent crackdown highlights that while cybercriminals are evolving and becoming more violent, law enforcement agencies are staying one step ahead, developing new methods to track and prosecute those who think they can hide behind digital currencies.