US EditionU.S. Marshals Investigate Claim of $40 Million Crypto Theft by Son of Federal Crypto Custodian
Blockchain tracing links multimillion-dollar transfers from government-held seized crypto to an alleged actor tied to the custody contractor; $24.9 million transfer traced in March 2024.
- ZachXBT alleged the son of CMDSS president Dean Daghita siphoned crypto linked to a U.S. Marshals custody contract; the allegations are unadjudicated and CMDSS could not be reached.
- Tracing by blockchain analysts linked transfers to a U.S. government wallet tied to Bitfinex and showed the dispute surfaced during a 'band-for-band' challenge and Telegram chat argument.
- Blockchain records show a U.S. government address sent $24.9 million in March 2024, roughly $23 million consolidated into one wallet, $6.7 million moved to an Ethereum address, and $700,000 lost in instant exchanges.
- Wave Digital Assets protested CMDSS's hiring and licensing, but the GAO denied the protest, while CoinDesk reported the U.S. Marshals Service lacked reliable bitcoin inventory controls.
- Prior scrutiny of the CMDSS contract and ZachXBT's Jan. 23 findings linking 'Lick' to over $90 million in suspected illicit crypto raise renewed oversight questions.
24 Articles
24 Articles
America is blinded by a huge scandal. Over 40 million dollars in confiscated state cryptomonies have been volatile. And the main suspect is even the son of the government's hired man to keep them, according to Cancan. The central person is John “Lick” Dagita. His father, Dean Daghata, conducts CMDSS, a firm with hard contracts [...]
Federal Crypto Custody Under Scrutiny After $40M Seizure Wallet Allegations More Stories ETHNews
The U.S. Marshals Service is investigating serious allegations that more than $40 million in seized digital assets were siphoned from government-controlled wallets by John Daghita, known online as “Lick.” The claims were made public on January 23, 2026, by prominent blockchain investigator ZachXBT, and point to a potential insider breach involving a federal crypto custody contractor. How the Alleged Scheme Worked According to the on-chain analys…
Key news points: An alleged $40M scam from government portfolios exposes serious flaws in crypto custody. The breach is linked to a contractor, showing risks in a fragmented system. The incident undermines the U.S. plan to create a strategic Bitcoin reserve ("Fort Knox digital"). The U.S. government has attempted to implement a historic shift with its Bitcoin holdings for nearly a year, shifting from a disorderly inventory and case by case of cr…
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