US government contractor accused of stealing $46M arrested on small island, FBI announces
U.S. and French authorities arrested a former U.S. government contractor accused of stealing $46 million in cryptocurrency, the FBI announced on Thursday.
FBI Director Kash Patel highlighted the arrest in a statement on X, saying the arrest of John Daghita on the island of St. Martin was a joint operation between the FBI and the French Gendarmerie.
"Last night, John Daghita – a U.S. government contractor who allegedly stole more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S 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.
"Thanks to the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit of the French Gendarmerie National in Saint Martin, and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale of Guadeloupe for the outstanding coordination," he continued.
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"FBI will continue working 24/7 with our international partners to track down, apprehend, and bring to justice those who attempt to defraud American taxpayers—no matter where they try to hide," he added.
Daghita's recently-deleted LinkedIn page said he worked for Command Services & Support, a Virginia-based firm run by his father, Dean Daghita, according to the New York Post. The company held contracts with the U.S. Marshalls Service that allowed them to manage digital currency seized by the law enforcement agency.
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Authorities who carried out the arrest found a briefcase full of cash as well as multiple USB drives.
Daghita's arrest comes roughly a month after authorities in Arizona arrested two California teens in an Arizona home invasion tied to an alleged $66 million cryptocurrency plot.
The teens, who are not being identified by Fox News Digital because they are both under the age of 18, allegedly posed as delivery drivers to gain access to the Scottsdale home on Jan. 31, before forcing their way inside and duct-taping and assaulting two homeowners inside.
During the home invasion, one of the victims denied having cryptocurrency, authorities said. An adult son in the home was able to call police from another room. When officers arrived, the teenagers fled but were later caught and arrested.