Greensboro Reporter

A Florida man has been sentenced to 47 years in prison for his involvement in a series of home invasion robberies targeting cryptocurrency. Between September 5 and September 12, a total of 12 men have been sentenced for their roles in the scheme.

According to court documents and trial evidence, Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, along with his co-conspirators, stole over $3.5 million from victims through SIM swapping and violent home invasions. Victims were held at gunpoint, assaulted, and bound with plastic cable ties. St Felix was convicted on June 25 by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, after a six-day trial. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.

Starting in late 2020, St Felix’s co-conspirator Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, of West Palm Beach, along with foreign associates, stole cryptocurrency by gaining control of victims’ phone numbers through SIM swapping. In 2022, they devised the home invasion scheme and recruited others including St Felix to assist with the invasions. St Felix later became the leader of this crew.

In September 2022, the group committed violent home invasions in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida. Victims were held at gunpoint; one man was abducted and beaten before being found by law enforcement miles from his home.

Later that year in Little Elm, Texas, another family was targeted where they were held at gunpoint for over three hours while being tortured. The perpetrators stole cash and valuable items worth approximately $150,000.

In April 2023 in Durham, North Carolina; St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro invaded another couple's home after conducting surveillance and accessing their email account without authorization. During this invasion they assaulted the couple violently and coerced them into providing access to their cryptocurrency exchange account.

St Felix planned further attacks but was arrested before carrying out an invasion on Long Island in July 2023.

Throughout the conspiracy period conspirators used encrypted messaging applications to plan their crimes discussing entry methods technical aspects of cryptocurrency identifying targets as well as sharing pictures related thereto financing various logistics via rental cars hotel rooms firearms etc

Seemungal was sentenced yesterday to 20 years imprisonment followed by five years supervised release ordered pay restitution totaling $4 million

On February sixth Castro pled guilty scheduled sentencing October first

May twenty-ninth/thirtieth nine co-conspirators pled guilty sentenced:

- Jose Alfredo Avila: Sentenced September eleventh twenty-years four-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Deangelo Lee Contreras: Sentenced September fifth fifteen-years five-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Haisel Daily: Sentenced September fifth twenty-five-years four-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Victor Gonzalez: Sentenced September sixth twelve-years three-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Nathan Noel Quintana: Sentenced September sixth sixteen-years four-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Ruben Matias Nicolopulos Silva: Sentenced September fifth twelve-years five-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Cristian Valdez: Sentenced September sixth twelve-years four-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Jesus Gerardo Valdez Jr.: Sentenced September sixth twelve-years four-year supervised release restitution ordered

- Jesus Manuel Santiago III is scheduled for sentencing October first

Salazar Gamez pled guilty May twenty-ninth thirtieth respectively conspiracy interfering commerce robbery:

- Salazar sentenced five years followed by four years supervision order pay restituion amount specified;

- Gamez eight year imprisonment plus three year supervisory term also subject financial penalties same value aforementioned

Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M Argentieri U S Attorney Sandra J Hairston Middle District NC Special Agent Charge Robert M DeWitt FBI Charlotte Field Office made announcements

FBI Charlotte Field Office conducted investigation assistance provided various police departments other FBI offices nationwide

National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team CCIPS Criminal Division partnered USAO MDNC prosecuting case

CCIPS/NCET Trial Attorney Eric Iverson Middle District NC Brian Mund handling prosecution support from other US Attorneys Offices multiple jurisdictions

NCET established combat growing illicit use cryptocurrencies digital assets focuses virtual currency exchanges obfuscation services infrastructure providers strategic priorities collaborative efforts domestically internationally prosecute related crimes aggressively