In cooperation with the FBI, a man has been arrested on the Caribbean island of St. Martin who is alleged to have stolen cryptocurrency worth more than 46 million US dollars from the US government. FBI Director Kash Patel announced this on the microblogging service X and shared two photos of the operation. One shows the man, whose identity had been public since the beginning of the year, the other a suitcase with cash and various electronics. According to Bloomberg, the arrested man is the son of a US entrepreneur whose company received a contract in 2024 to manage seized assets of the United States Marshals Service. It is precisely this law enforcement agency that the arrested man is alleged to have stolen seized cryptocurrency from.
Stole cryptocurrency as a contractor
According to Bloomberg, the man who has now been arrested also worked for the United States Marshals Service himself, the law enforcement agency is primarily responsible for seized assets of the US government. The man was reportedly in charge of the cryptocurrency that was confiscated in the proceedings against the responsible parties of the cryptocurrency mixer Samourai Wallet. In the process, cryptocurrency worth more than 46 million US dollars was transferred, which apparently also worked. In reality, the man stole the money and left the country. The FBI only began searching for him when this was noticed.
Based on blockchain analyses, a well-known crypto fraud researcher, who goes by the pseudonym ZachXBT online, established the connection to the man at the beginning of the year. He now claims that the alleged thief then taunted him via Telegram. He even sent him parts of the loot to defame him as an accomplice. However, after the FBI Director’s announcement, ZachXBT feels once again confirmed. The FBI Director also promises that they will continue to work around the clock with partners worldwide to track down and arrest all those who defraud US taxpayers.
(mho)
