Contractor’s Son Arrested Over Alleged $46M Crypto Theft From US Marshals

• John “Lick” Daghita was arrested overnight in Saint Martin in a joint FBI and French Gendarmerie operation, charged with stealing approximately US$46 million (AU$65 million) in cryptocurrency from US Marshals Service seizure wallets.
• Daghita allegedly exploited privileged access through CMDSS, his father Dean Daghita’s Virginia-based federal contracting firm, which held a contract to manage and dispose of seized cryptocurrency for the Department of Justice and the Department of Defense.
• Blockchain analyst ZachXBT publicly exposed the alleged theft in January 2026, connecting the stolen funds to assets seized from the 2016 Bitfinex hack and prompting the U.S. Marshals Service to open its formal investigation.

US authorities have arrested John Daghita on the French side of Saint Martin in connection with the alleged theft of roughly US$46 million (AU$70.38 million) in cryptocurrency from wallets controlled by the U.S. Marshals Service.

The arrest took place overnight on March 5 in a joint operation involving the FBI and a tactical unit from the French Gendarmerie. Authorities said agents recovered a metal briefcase containing cash, multiple hard drives and digital security keys.

Prosecutors allege Daghita used privileged access connected to CMDSS, a Virginia-based IT and operational support contractor that provided services related to seized digital assets for U.S. government agencies, including the Department of Justice. 

It’s a bit ambiguous, but CMDSS is run by his father, Dean Daghita. But court filings, as described by authorities, identify John Daghita as a US government contractor, though his exact role was not specified.

Investigators said the alleged theft stemmed from insider access rather than an external hack. They linked the scheme to a wallet holding about 12,540 Ethereum (ETH), worth more than US$36 million (AU$55.08 million). Authorities allege those assets formed part of the roughly US$46 million taken from government-controlled wallets. 

Related: Jamie Dimon Warns Stablecoin Yield Fight Could Threaten US Financial System

Can’t Escape ZachXBT

The case gained momentum after material from a dispute on Telegram circulated online and drew the attention of blockchain investigator ZachXBT, the number one terror of scammers and hackers.

ZachXBT said he traced the funds on-chain and connected them to US government seizure wallets in January 2026. Accordingly, the findings in those wallets were later referred to authorities, after which the US Marshals Service opened a formal investigation.

Daghita now faces federal charges tied to the alleged theft, and US authorities are expected to seek his extradition from the French jurisdiction of Saint Martin.

The case has intensified scrutiny of how US agencies and contractors safeguard seized digital assets, particularly where internal access controls are involved. The US Marshals Service is responsible for holding cryptocurrency confiscated through federal law enforcement actions, and prosecutors allege this case exposed weaknesses in those custody arrangements.

Read more: Bitwise’s Matt Hougan: The Weekend That Proved Onchain Markets Are the Future

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