Source: United States Attorneys General
A Florida man was sentenced today to six years and 10 months in prison for assaulting an individual in retaliation for testimony that the victim provided during the assailant’s trial for his involvement in a home invasion robbery scheme.
“Instead of accepting responsibility for his criminal conduct that resulted in a 47-year sentence, St Felix physically attacked and berated a trial witness,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Witness retaliation threatens the very foundation of our justice system, which relies on truthful witness testimony. We will aggressively prosecute any attempt to retaliate against federal witnesses.”
“Retaliation against witnesses, no matter when or where it occurs, will not be tolerated. And individuals who assault government witnesses should expect prosecution and punishment,” said U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett for the Middle District of North Carolina. “I commend the agents, attorneys, and USAO staff for their commitment and excellent work on cases stemming from this series of internationally organized home invasions.”
“St Felix tried to silence the very process that held him accountable,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division. “Retaliating against a witness strikes at the heart of the justice system. Those who think they can silence or intimidate witnesses will quickly learn the FBI will come after them.”
“St Felix led a ring of violent cryptocurrency thieves and when he was sentenced to 47 years, he physically attacked a trial witness, cowardly choosing to blame someone else for his crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI Charlotte Field Office. “This additional prison time means he will likely be in his 70s before possibly walking free again. While we know his victims will never fully recover, we hope this sentence provides them some sense of justice.”
Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, pleaded guilty in the Middle District of North Carolina on May 6 to one count of retaliation against a witness for testimony in a criminal trial.
St Felix was charged in a nine-count superseding indictment for crimes stemming from a scheme to steal cryptocurrency during home invasion robberies. St Felix elected to go to trial and was found guilty on all counts. St Felix was subsequently sentenced to 47 years in prison. For this additional sentence, 36 months are to run concurrent to the current sentence and 46 months are to run consecutive to it. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, St Felix was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the United States called a witness (“Witness-1”) at St Felix’s trial who testified about St Felix’s involvement in the home invasion robbery scheme.
On Oct. 8, 2024, after St Felix had been sentenced, Witness-1 was seated, restrained with leg shackles, a belly chain, and handcuffs, in the “booking area” of a Detention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. St Felix was allowed out of a holding cell in the same area and assaulted Witness-1 with a series of punches, striking Witness-1 in the face, head, and body. While assaulting Witness-1, St Felix called Witness-1 a “rat” and told Witness-1 that he was responsible for St Felix’s 47-year sentence. That evening, St Felix called his mother and his girlfriend and gloated about assaulting Witness-1.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina prosecuted the case.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.