A man accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service was arrested on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin in a coordinated operation between the FBI and French gendarmerie.
The information was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on March 5, 2026.
Suspect is a government contractor employee
The suspect was identified as John Daghita, who reportedly worked for Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a Virginia-based technology company.
This company had previously signed a contract with the U.S. Marshals Service to assist in managing digital assets seized in federal cases, including cryptocurrency. This incident is reminiscent of allegations of large-scale misappropriation of federal funds targeting government employees.
According to initial investigations, Daghita allegedly accessed private crypto wallet addresses and subsequently misappropriated more than $46 million worth of cryptocurrency. Technical details regarding how the system was accessed have not yet been released.
Arrested in an international operation
The arrest was carried out thanks to coordination between:
- The FBI
- The French National Gendarmerie's Serious Crime Investigation Team in Saint Martin
- The French Gendarmerie Intervention Unit in Guadeloupe
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that the agency will continue to cooperate with international partners to apprehend those accused of fraud and misappropriation of U.S. government property.
Large amounts of cryptocurrency managed by the U.S. government
According to reports, the U.S. Marshals Service currently manages a vast amount of cryptocurrency seized from federal cases, including assets from crypto fraud cases worth hundreds of millions of dollars, estimated at approximately 200,000 bitcoins—valued at around $13.5 billion according to recent market prices.
The case remains under investigation.
