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Nepo baby John Daghita, 21, was arrested in St. Martin after the FBI says he stole $46 million in crypto cash from the U.S. Marshals, who had seized it from a Russian hacker
Michele McPhee
A 21-year-old nepo baby who used artificial intelligence to rip off what the feds say was $46 million in cryptocurrency seized from criminals by the U.S. government was busted in a ritzy Caribbean hotel on St. Martin with a metal briefcase stuffed with hundred-dollar bills.
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… pic.twitter.com/3ttochgbjk
John “Lick” Daghita’s name has long been circulating in the tech world as the hacker who stole tens of millions in seized government assets while working for his dad, Dean Daghita, whose company, Command Services & Support (CMDSS), was awarded a $4 million contract to manage confiscated cryptocurrencies for the US Marshals Service. According to a government website, CMDSS is a small business owned by a disabled veteran registered in Virginia.
Somehow, the younger Daghita came up with an elaborate scheme to steal those seized funds and may have gotten away with it if he hadn’t engaged in online braggadocio about his alleged thievery, which was noticed in the tech world. Last month, ZachXBT, the pseudonymous blockchain investigator, posted photos of the 21-year-old who used the online handle “Lick” with a variety of high-end watches.
Only the son flexes watches / cars / pj pic.twitter.com/TW0HJYbhbn
The money allegedly stolen by the contractor’s son had belonged to another hacker thief, Russian national Ilya Lichtenstein, sources say, and when it was seized it went to Dean Daghita’s firm for safekeeping. Lichenstein had been sentenced to five years in prison, but last month he thanked President Trump for his early release. His wife, rapper Heather Morgan, who called herself “the Crocodile of Wall Street,” was also released early and posted a video of herself in a bathtub.
Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I have been released from prison early.
I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can.
To the supporters, thank you for everything.
To the haters, I look forward to proving you wrong.
Last month, another defense contractor for the U.S. government was sentenced for selling trade secrets to Russia. Peter Williams, 38, was ordered to forfeit $1.3 million, cryptocurrency, a house, and luxury items such as watches and jewelry, according to the Justice Department.
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