Crypto Heist: A Desperate Crime

Remy Ra St. Felix, a 25-year-old Floridian, had a peculiar profession. He spent his days robbing people of their cryptocurrency by breaking into their homes and issuing threats. This unusual line of work had started after a failed attempt in his hometown of Homestead, Florida, in September 2022. The plan was to hold a victim at gunpoint, forcing him to transfer money from his online exchange accounts to the thieves. However, the victim's accounts had less money than expected, leading St. Felix to improvise. The situation became more sinister when St. Felix tied the victim's hands, shoved him into a car, and drove away. The kidnappers filmed themselves assaulting the victim, who was bleeding from the mouth and face. A gun was placed to his neck, and he was forced to record a plea for friends and family to send cryptocurrency to secure his release. This horrific experience led St. Felix to look out of state for new targets. The crew's attention was drawn to a tidy home in Durham, North Carolina, belonging to a significant crypto investor. St. Felix and his partner, Elmer Castro, spent a day surveilling the house, and on the night of April 11, 2023, they decided to take action. They arrived at the home dressed in work uniforms, complete with sunglasses, clipboards, and reflective vests, in an attempt to blend in. The next morning, they returned to the property, this time wearing ski masks and sunglasses. As the wife opened the door, they pushed their way inside, pulling out handguns. The husband, who had been in the kitchen, rushed to his wife's aid, and the intruders punched him in the face. Both homeowners were zip-tied, and the wife was dragged away by Castro. St. Felix then took the husband to a loft office and began issuing threats, warning him that he would suffer harm if he didn't cooperate. He forced the husband to log in to his Coinbase account, and St. Felix took over, downloading remote-control software and opening a Telegram audio call to the mastermind behind the operation. The robbery was underway, with St. Felix now holding the homeowners hostage and demanding their cryptocurrency. This is a stark reminder that desperation can lead to extreme and devastating crimes.