Inside a violent crypto-theft gang’s ruthless home invasion spree

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Cryptocurrency has always do A wall target For shutter not just piracy, but THE old-fashioned, up close and personal kind, Also. Given that he can be irreversibly transferred In seconds with little more that A password, It is maybe No surprise that thieves to have occasionally research has fly crypto In home invasion burglaries And even kidnappings. But rarely TO DO those thieves leave A track of violence In their wake up as worrying as that of A recent, ruthless, And particularly prolific gang of crypto extortionists.

THE United States Justice Department earlier This week announcement THE conviction of Remy Ra St. Felix, A 24 years Florida man WHO directed A band of Men behind A violent crime party designed has constrain victims has hand on to access has their cryptocurrency savings. That announcement And THE criminal complaint laid out charges against St. Felix concentrate largely on A Single flight of cryptocurrency Since A age North Caroline couple, of which House St. Felix And A of her accomplices broken In Before physically assault THE two victims – both In their seventies - and force them has transfer more that $150,000 In bitcoin And ether has THE thieves' crypto wallets.

In do, that six digits sum appears has to have has been THE the gangs only confirmed carry Since It is physical crypto flights - although THE burglars And their associates do millions In total, Above all through more traditional crypto piracy as GOOD as flight other assets. A Deeper look In court documents Since THE St. Felix case, However, revealed that THE relatively little profit St. that of Felix gang do Since It is burglaries doesn't capture THE complete scope of THE harm they inflicted: In total, those court deposits And DOJ civil servants describe how more that A dozen sentenced And alleged members of THE focused on cryptography gang broken In THE houses of 11 victims, wearing out A brutal party of armed flights, the death threats, shots, torture sessions, And even A kidnapping In A campaign that stepped over four WE States.

In court documents, prosecutors say THE men—working In pairs Or little teams – threatened has cut toes Or genitals disabled of A victim, kidnapped And discussed murder another, And foreseen has threaten another of the victim child as leverage. Prosecutors Also describe worrying torture tactical: how THE Men inserted sharp objects below A the victim nails And burned another with A hot iron, all In A effort has constrain their targets has hand on THE devices And Passwords necessary has transfer their crypto assets.

"THE victims In This case suffered A horrible, painful experience that No citizen should to have has endure," Sandra Hairston, A WE lawyer For THE Medium District of North Caroline WHO for follow-up St. that of Felix case, wrote In THE Justice Departments announcement of St. that of Felix conviction. "THE respondent And her co-conspirators acted purely out of greed And imperceptibly terrified those they targeted."

THE serial extortion party East almost certainly THE worse of It is kind Never has be for follow-up In THE WE, said Jameson Lopp, THE co-founder And chief security officer of Home, A focused on cryptocurrency physical security farm, WHO has follow up physical attacks designed has fly cryptocurrency going back as far as 2014. "As far as I am aware, This East THE First of all case Or he was confirmed that THE even band of people went around And basically door out House invasions on A variety of different victims ", Lopp said.

Lopp Remarks, nevertheless, that This kind of crime party East more that A unique. He has learned of other similar attempts has physical flight of cryptocurrency In just THE pass month that to have escaped public report - he said THE victims In those case request him not has share details - and suggests that in person crypto extortion can be on THE...