SAINT MARTIN — A suspect accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from U.S. government wallets has been arrested in Saint Martin, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
In a Thursday post on X, Patel said John Daghita was taken into custody in a joint operation between the FBI and French authorities. The arrest was conducted by the French Gendarmerie’s International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit in Saint Martin and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale of Guadeloupe.
The theft allegedly involved cryptocurrency held by the U.S. Marshals Service, including assets seized in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. Blockchain investigator ZachXBT linked Daghita, known online as “Lick,” to siphoning funds from these wallets through multiple addresses and exchanges.
Reports indicate Daghita is the son of Dean Daghita, president of Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a company awarded a 2024 U.S. Marshals Service contract to manage certain seized cryptocurrencies. It is unclear whether John Daghita held an official role with CMDSS.
Following the arrest, ZachXBT noted that Daghita had previously taunted him via Telegram and sent small “dust attack” transactions from allegedly stolen wallets.
CMDSS’s contract had faced scrutiny in 2024 after a competing firm challenged the award, citing registration issues and potential conflicts of interest, but the Government Accountability Office ultimately rejected the protest.
