FBI announces arrest of man accused of stealing $46 million in crypto

FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that John Daghita was arrested on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in connection with an alleged theft of roughly $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service. Patel said the arrest was carried out by French Gendarmerie elite tactical units working jointly with FBI agents and posted images showing a handcuffed man and a metal case full of $100 bills and multiple digital storage devices.

"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. He thanked French units by name and pledged continual international cooperation: "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." Patel added, "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."

Law enforcement described the operation as tactical and coordinated. French authorities on Saint Martin and a Groupe d’intervention unit from Guadeloupe were identified by U.S. officials as partners in the arrest; the FBI characterized the effort as a joint operation. U.S. officials said the arrest took place overnight and was announced March 5 after Daghita was taken into custody on March 4.

Images released by the FBI show a metal suitcase or briefcase stacked with packs of $100 bills and several USB drives and devices that appear to be hardware crypto wallets. Authorities also reported seizing multiple USB drives at the scene. U.S. officials said they expect to seek extradition from French authorities but have not disclosed whether formal charging documents have been filed in a U.S. court.

The arrest follows a months-long U.S. Marshals Service investigation prompted by a blockchain analyst’s allegation that Daghita controlled a wallet holding roughly 12,540 ETH. Investigators allege that Daghita is the son of a U.S. government contractor whose company managed seized cryptocurrency wallets for the Marshals Service and that the probe centers on transfers from those seizure accounts. Those relationships and the wallet linkage have been reported to investigators, but authorities have not released forensic evidence, wallet addresses, or chain-of-custody details tying the seized devices and cash to the alleged $46 million loss.

Officials have also not released specifics about the mechanics of the alleged theft, whether private keys or wallet credentials were recovered, or whether law enforcement has recovered cryptocurrency corresponding to the amount alleged. No prosecutor has yet issued a public indictment or criminal complaint in the matter according to law enforcement statements made available so far.

The case raises immediate policy and oversight questions about how government seizure assets are managed and audited when outside contractors are involved. With extradition expected and an international arrest completed, the next public developments to watch are formal charging documents, statements from the U.S. Marshals Service and French Gendarmerie on custody and evidence, and forensic reports that could connect seized devices to on-chain movements alleged by investigators.