Ex-US Contractor Accused of Stealing $46M in Crypto

A man the feds say helped guard seized digital loot is now accused of quietly grabbing a huge chunk for himself. French authorities on the Caribbean island of St. Martin have arrested John Daghita, a former US government contractor accused of siphoning off more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the US Marshals Service, the FBI announced Thursday. FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that Daghita was taken into custody in a joint operation with the French Gendarmerie's top tactical unit.

Daghita had worked for Command Services & Support, a Virginia firm run by his father that held contracts to help manage digital assets seized in federal cases, according to the New York Post, which cites his now-deleted LinkedIn profile. He was allegedly able to access private crypto addresses through his father's position at the company, the Post reports. Authorities who arrested Daghita found a briefcase stuffed with cash and several USB drives, Fox News reports. The Marshals Service has long been responsible for handling and auctioning off crypto seized in criminal investigations.

Patel thanked French counterparts in Saint Martin and Guadeloupe for what he called "outstanding coordination," adding that the FBI will keep working with foreign partners to pursue those who try to cheat US taxpayers "no matter where they try to hide."