A Florida man, Remy Ra St Felix, has been sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison for assaulting a witness who testified against him during his trial related to a home invasion robbery scheme. The sentencing took place in the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, St Felix physically attacked the witness after being convicted and sentenced to 47 years in prison for his role as leader of a group that committed violent cryptocurrency thefts through home invasions. The incident occurred on Oct. 8, 2024, at a detention center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Court documents state that while the witness was restrained with leg shackles, a belly chain, and handcuffs in the booking area, St Felix left his holding cell and assaulted the individual by punching them multiple times in the face, head, and body. During the attack, he called the witness a “rat” and blamed them for his lengthy sentence.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti commented on the case: “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 Galeotti. “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.”
U.S. Attorney Clifton T. Barrett for the Middle District of North Carolina also addressed the issue: “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 Barrett. “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.”
Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division stated: “St Felix tried to silence the very process that held him accountable,” said Perez. “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.”
Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr., FBI Charlotte Field Office added: “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 Barnacle Jr.. “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.”
St Felix pleaded guilty on May 6 to one count of retaliation against a witness for testimony given during his criminal trial.
The new sentence includes 36 months running concurrently with his previous term and an additional 46 months consecutively served after completion of his original sentence; he also faces five years supervised release upon completion.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation into these events.
Prosecution was handled by Trial Attorney Brian Mund from the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson from North Carolina’s Middle District.
CCIPS works with domestic and international law enforcement agencies as well as private sector partners to investigate cybercrime cases; since 2020 CCIPS has secured over 180 convictions related to cybercrime offenses and helped return more than $350 million to victims.
