Blockchain investigator ZachXBT alleges an insider tied to a U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) contractor siphoned greater than $40 million from U.S. government-controlled wallets holding seized digital belongings.
What ZachXBT is alleging
ZachXBT says the suspected thief is John Daghita, who used the net handles “John” or “Lick.”
He additional alleges Daghita is the son of Dean Daghita, president of Command Providers & Help (CMDSS), a Virginia-based agency that obtained a USMS contract in October 2024 to assist handle and get rid of sure “Class 2-4” seized belongings.
The allegations haven’t been adjudicated in courtroom, and no official expenses have been introduced.
How the wallets have been linked
ZachXBT’s claims construct on a leaked recording from a personal Telegram dispute during which the suspected actor screen-shared an Exodus pockets and appeared to maneuver funds in actual time.
ZachXBT wrote:
“The declare builds on ZachXBT’s earlier investigation linking a person often called ‘John’ or ‘Lick’ to over $90 million in suspected stolen crypto, together with funds tied to a Bitfinex seizure pockets.”
Tracing exercise backward, ZachXBT mentioned one pockets obtained $24.9 million from a U.S. authorities deal with in March 2024 tied to belongings seized from the 2016 Bitfinex hack.
He has additionally mentioned roughly $20 million was drained from government-controlled wallets in October 2024, with most returned inside 24 hours however round $700,000 not recovered after being routed by way of prompt exchanges.
Custody questions for U.S. bitcoin
The episode has renewed scrutiny of how the U.S. inventories and safeguards seized bitcoin held by the federal government.
Bitbo’s tracker lists the U.S. authorities’s bitcoin holdings among the many largest recognized state-linked treasuries.