John Daghita, a former government contractor who is accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service, was arrested on St. Martin, FBI Director Kash Patel announced Thursday morning.
Daghita was arrested by the French Gendarmerie's elite tactical unit in a joint operation with the FBI, Patel said.
Daghita's LinkedIn page, which has been deleted, shows him working for Command Services & Support, Inc. (CMDSS), a Virginia-based company led by his father, Dean Daghita, the New York Post reported.
John Daghita was allegedly able to access private crypto addresses and steal millions through his father's position in the company, according to the Post.
John Daghita, identified online by a blockchain investigator as "Lick," is accused of exploiting insider access to siphon digital assets from government-linked wallets, reported Bitcoin Magazine.
He purportedly demonstrated the ability to move millions of dollars in real time during a dispute recorded in a private Telegram chat. Subsequent on-chain analysis linked those wallets to addresses known to hold government-seized assets, Bitcoin Magazine said.
Other transaction details show approximately $20 million was removed from U.S. Marshals Service-linked wallets in October 2024, most of which was returned within a day.
CMDSS was awarded a contract from the U.S. Marshals Service in October 2024 to handle digital assets not supported by major exchanges, including funds tied to complex criminal cases and high-profile seizures, Bitcoin Magazine reported.
"The 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," Patel said.
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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