Authorities nab suspect accused of stealing $46m in crypto from US Marshals Service

The Federal Bureau of Investigation director, Kash Patel, took to social media on Thursday to announce the arrest of a young man alleged of stealing $46 million in crypto from the US Marshals Service.

The USMS are responsible for holding cryptocurrencies seized during legal operations by the US government as part of the administration’s US Bitcoin Reserve.

Patel congratulated French authorities for apprehending John Daghita on the island of Saint Martin in the Caribbean.

“Last night, John Daghita — a US government contractor who allegedly stole more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the US Marshals Service — was arrested on the island of Saint Martin by the French Gendarmerie’s premier elite tactical unit in a joint operation with the FBI,” Patel wrote.

Ties to US government

ZachXBT, a pseudonymous investigator, said Daghita was able to steal cryptocurrencies by leveraging his father’s IT company, Command Services and Support.

CMDSS, a Virginia-based firm, won a $4 million contract with the US Marshals Service in 2024.

ZachXBT first alerted authorities to the alleged theft in January. The investigator revealed through a series of videos and screenshots how Daghita seemingly controlled several different crypto addresses, including those on Ethereum and Tron.

By tracing the addresses in the video recordings, ZachXBT identified ties to those funds and to funds from government seizures.

Patrick Witt, the executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, responded at that time that he would look into the allegations.

Liam Kelly is DL News’ Berlin-based DeFi correspondent. Have a tip? Get in touch at [email protected].