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Scrape Timestamp (UTC): 2025-08-26 13:55:58.286
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/26/crypto_thief_witness_assault/
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Crypto thief earns additional prison time for assaulting witness. Remy Ra St Felix led a vicious international crime ring. A violent home invader and gunpoint cryptocurrency thief will now spend more than 50 years behind bars after being found guilty of assaulting a witness. Remy Ra St Felix, 25, was sentenced to an additional six years and ten months last week following an assault on a witness who testified against him in a trial that related to a string of vicious robberies between September 2022 and July 2023. St Felix, of West Palm Beach, Florida, was found guilty of all nine counts related to his role as ringleader of an international crime gang, and as we reported last year, was sentenced to 47 years behind bars in June 2024. The court heard of his various exploits, which in one case involved assaulting an elderly couple, restraining them with zip ties, and demanding they empty their cryptocurrency wallets – containing assets worth more than $150,000 at the time – into his own. St Felix and accomplices approached the couple's house under the guise of pipe inspectors carrying out checks, forced their way in, dragged the woman by her legs into the bathroom, and forced the man to allow a collaborator to remotely connect to the home iMac and drain their Coinbase account. The complaint against St Felix also stated that he threatened further violence against the couple. Documents showed that he said he would cut off the man's toes and genitals, shoot him, and rape the woman if his victims did not comply. On October 8, 2024, at a Greensboro, North Carolina, detention center and after St Felix's sentencing, he attacked one of the witnesses who testified against him in court. According to the Justice Department, at the time of the attack, the witness was shackled and seated at the detention center's booking area. St Felix was freed from his holding cell and landed a series of punches on the witness's head, face, and body, all while calling him "a rat." He was also said to have called his mother and girlfriend after the assault, gloating about what he had done. Given the importance of witness testimony to fair trials, officials commenting on the conviction said they were pleased the sentence was extended. "Instead of accepting responsibility for his criminal conduct that resulted in a 47-year sentence, St Felix physically attacked and berated a trial witness," said Matthew R Galeotti, acting assistant attorney general at the Justice Department's Criminal Division. "Witness retaliation threatens the very foundation of our justice system, which relies on truthful witness testimony. We will aggressively prosecute any attempt to retaliate against federal witnesses." James C Barnacle Jr, special agent in charge at the FBI's Charlotte Field Office, noted that St Felix "will likely be in his 70s before possibly walking free again." The gang leader's original sentence was for 47 years in prison. For the additional six years and ten months, he will serve 36 months concurrently with his previous sentence, and the remaining 46 months will run after. He'll also have to pay $524,153.39 in restitution. Eleven of St Felix's gang members were sentenced alongside him to a collective 191 years.
Daily Brief Summary
Remy Ra St Felix, leader of a violent international crime ring, received an additional six years and ten months for assaulting a witness.
St Felix's original 47-year sentence stemmed from a series of robberies, including a violent home invasion targeting cryptocurrency assets.
The attack on the witness occurred at a North Carolina detention center, where St Felix assaulted the individual, calling him "a rat."
The Justice Department emphasized the critical role of witness testimony in ensuring fair trials and vowed to prosecute retaliation efforts.
St Felix will serve 36 months of the new sentence concurrently, with the remaining 46 months consecutive to his original term.
The gang leader's actions included threatening victims with extreme violence to access over $150,000 in cryptocurrency.
Eleven gang members received a collective 191-year sentence, highlighting the extensive criminal network dismantled by law enforcement.
St Felix is required to pay over $524,000 in restitution, reflecting the financial impact of his criminal activities.