Crypto Thief Steals $46M, Arrested in St. Martin

0:00On March 5th, a former government contractor named John DeKita has been arrested for allegedly stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshall service. FBI Director Cash Patel announced the news on Thursday morning after a joint operation with French authorities on the island of St. Martin. DeKita was nabbed by the French Jean-Darmerie's elite tactical team working alongside the FBI. He had been on the run but couldn't evade capture in this international effort. DeKita worked for a Virginia company called Command Services and Support, run by his father, which held a contract with the Marshall service starting in October 2024. Officials say he used insider access through that family connection to target government linked crypto wallets. Investigators linked him to moving around $20 million from those wallets in October 2024, though most of it was returned within a day. Blockchain experts identified him online by the handle lick after tracing suspicious transactions. The FBI vows to keep hunting down crypto thieves with global partners, no matter where they hide, to protect taxpayer funds from these bold schemes.