U.S. Federal Contractor’s Son Arrested in $46 Million Theft of Seized Government Crypto

John Daghita, an alleged U.S. government contractor accused of stealing more than $46 million in cryptocurrency from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), was arrested last night on the island of Saint Martin in a coordinated operation between the FBI and French authorities. 

The arrest, confirmed via tweet by FBI Director Kash Patel, involved the French Gendarmerie’s elite tactical unit and the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit.

“Thanks to the International Cooperation Team Serious Crime Unit of the French Gendarmerie National in Saint Martin, and the Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale of Guadeloupe for the outstanding coordination,” Patel wrote. “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.”

The case centers on allegations that Daghita, identified online by blockchain investigator ZachXBT as “Lick,” exploited insider access to siphon digital assets from government-linked wallets. 

Daghita is the son of Dean Daghita, president and CEO of Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a Virginia-based technology firm contracted by the USMS to manage and dispose of certain categories of seized cryptocurrency.

CMDSS was awarded the contract in October 2024 to handle digital assets not supported by major exchanges, including funds tied to complex criminal cases and high-profile seizures, such as the 2016 Bitfinex hack. 

Bitcoins Daghita had access to millions in crypto

According to ZachXBT, Daghita 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.

ZachXBT reported that one wallet allegedly controlled by Daghita held 12,540 ether, valued at roughly $36 million at current prices. 

Other transaction trails suggest approximately $20 million was removed from USMS-linked wallets in October 2024, most of which was returned within a day, though roughly $700,000 routed through instant exchanges was not recovered. 

Estimates of total suspected thefts may exceed $90 million when accounting for activity observed in late 2025.

U.S. officials have not publicly detailed how Daghita allegedly accessed the crypto or the wallets, nor whether CMDSS’s internal controls were bypassed or exploited. 

The case follows heightened scrutiny of the U.S. Marshals Service’s cryptocurrency holdings, which some analysts estimate at over 198,000 BTC, worth tens of billions of dollars. 

Allegations of insider theft and improper management have intensified calls for reform in how federal agencies secure and track digital assets, especially those seized from criminal cases.