Prosecutors say violent crew used fake food orders to target cryptocurrency owners across the U.S.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A federal case unfolding out of South Florida has exposed what prosecutors describe as a brazen, cross-country theft ring that used fake food deliveries, home surveillance and armed break-ins to steal cryptocurrency from victims in several states.
According to court records and Justice Department statements, Remy St. Felix, 24, of West Palm Beach, was convicted for helping lead a robbery crew that targeted cryptocurrency holders in a series of violent home invasions between September 2022 and July 2023. Prosecutors say the group planned attacks in North Carolina, Florida, Texas and New York, using deception and force to access victims’ digital wallets and drain their accounts.
The case underscores a growing criminal trend in which thieves use both low-tech tricks and high-tech laundering methods to exploit the relative anonymity of digital assets. In this scheme, prosecutors say, the crew allegedly used fake food orders and other ruses to confirm when people were home, then moved in with guns, zip ties and threats of violence.
“St. Felix and his co-conspirators targeted victims across the United States for brutal home invasions, kidnappings, and robberies in order to steal cryptocurrency,” the Justice Department said in announcing the conviction. Federal officials said the group tried to hide its tracks using encrypted communications and layered transactions, but investigators were still able to connect the crimes through a combination of blockchain analysis, digital evidence and traditional police work.
A pattern of planning, surveillance and surprise attacks
Trial evidence showed that St. Felix and his associates did not simply stumble into their victims’ homes. Prosecutors said the crew conducted physical surveillance and gained unauthorized access to email accounts before some of the robberies, allowing them to identify targets and verify their wealth. In at least one instance, the group used fake food orders to make sure the person was at home before launching the break-in.
Once inside, the alleged robbers used intimidation and force to make victims surrender access to cryptocurrency accounts. Prosecutors said victims were kidnapped in their own homes and ordered to log in to exchange accounts so the thieves could transfer funds. In one April 2023 attack, St. Felix and a co-conspirator allegedly forced their way into a victim’s home, assaulted the victim, zip-tied him and held him at gunpoint while others siphoned off more than $150,000 in cryptocurrency.
The Justice Department said the group’s operations stretched beyond one city or state, reflecting a coordinated effort that crossed jurisdictional lines. The wide geographic reach made the investigation more complex, but also gave prosecutors a broader picture of how the robbery crew operated.
How the money was allegedly moved
Authorities said the stolen cryptocurrency was quickly moved through a web of tools designed to conceal the source and destination of the funds. According to trial evidence, the defendants used anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrency such as Monero, along with instant exchanges and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct the kind of customer checks common at regulated financial institutions.
Investigators said encrypted messaging apps were used to coordinate the robberies and the laundering of the proceeds. The complaint and related filings described efforts to shift the money through a series of wallets and exchange services in an attempt to break the trail.
But the strategy did not work. Federal agents were able to trace transactions across the blockchain and tie them back to accounts and services used by the suspects. In some cases, the wallets that received the stolen funds were linked directly to accounts opened in the suspects’ own names using their driver’s licenses, phone numbers and home addresses, according to reporting on the case.
The investigation highlights a recurring theme in cryptocurrency crime: while digital assets can be moved quickly, the blockchain can also leave behind a durable trail for investigators trained in crypto tracing.
Victims were forced to hand over access
Prosecutors said the targets were not merely robbed of cash or jewelry. The crew allegedly tried to turn victims into unwilling accomplices by forcing them to unlock accounts and approve transfers on the spot. In the North Carolina robbery described in court filings, gunmen allegedly made a husband log into his Bitcoin account and then carried out multiple transfers totaling more than $156,000 from a U.S. exchange to a decentralized exchange.
At one point, according to the filings, a fourth attempted transfer was blocked by the exchange because the activity appeared suspicious. That interruption may have prevented additional losses, but investigators later found that the crew had already moved the money through more complex channels in an effort to obscure it.
Cases like this are especially alarming because they combine cybercrime with violent street crime. Rather than relying on phishing emails or online scams alone, the suspects allegedly brought guns, masks and physical force into victims’ homes, making the threat immediate and deeply personal.
What prosecutors say this case represents
Federal authorities say the case is part of a broader crackdown on violent crypto-related crime. Cryptocurrency ownership has expanded rapidly in recent years, and law enforcement officials have warned that public displays of wealth, social media posts and online trading activity can make owners targets for criminals looking for high-value, portable assets.
What makes this case stand out, prosecutors say, is the combination of premeditation and brutality. The alleged crew was not simply stealing passwords or exploiting a software flaw. They were reportedly tracking victims, setting traps with fake food orders, and then using kidnapping and assault to force transfers.
The Justice Department said the investigation involved multiple agencies and task forces, with prosecutors relying on both digital forensics and witness testimony. The conviction of St. Felix marks a significant outcome in one of the more violent cryptocurrency theft cases to reach federal court in recent months.
Broader warning for crypto owners
Law enforcement officials often advise cryptocurrency holders to treat digital wealth like any other high-value asset: keep it private, avoid public discussion of balances, strengthen account security and be cautious about oversharing travel plans or home routines online. The allegations in this case suggest that criminals are increasingly blending online intelligence gathering with real-world surveillance and force.
For victims, the losses can be devastating. Beyond the financial damage, the incidents described by prosecutors involved fear, restraint and threats inside people’s homes — a reminder that digital theft can quickly become a violent crime when criminals believe they can locate their targets in the physical world.
St. Felix’s conviction closes one chapter in the case, but federal officials indicate the investigation into the broader network continues. Prosecutors have portrayed the ring as organized, mobile and determined, but also vulnerable to the same investigative tools that have become essential in modern crypto enforcement.
As cryptocurrency continues to mature as a financial asset class, law enforcement agencies say cases like this are likely to remain a priority. The message from investigators is clear: even when criminals use encrypted apps, layered wallets and anonymity tools, a paper trail — or in this case, a blockchain trail — can still lead to accountability.