In March of 2015, 2 federal agents who helped deport ane of the major investigations inwards the Silk Road example allegedly stole thousands inwards bitcoin confiscated from the online night marketplace. The 2 agents, Shaun Bridges as well as Carl Force from the Drug Enforcement Administration as well as the United States Secret Service, were charged amongst several offenses including wire fraud as well as money laundering.
This week, Bridges, a particular agent for the United States Secret Service for the Silk Road case, has come upwards to an understanding amongst the prosecutors as well as pleaded guilty for the theft of confiscated bitcoin from Silk Road.
Bridges took part inwards a Baltimore chore forcefulness every bit a estimator forensics adept where he contributed to an investigation which acquired plenty testify to accuse Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road for allegedly hiring assassins to murder 6 individuals that threatened the marketplace.
During the operation, Bridges stole thousands inwards bitcoin yesteryear obtaining the passwords to Silk Road from the marketplace’s client back upwards representative as well as moved the bitcoin to his ain personal account. Specifically, the prosecutors claimed that the stolen bitcoin were transferred into Japanese bitcoin central Mt Gox, to convert the bitcoin into United States dollars as well as and thence motility it to his banking corporation account.
The bitcoin stolen yesteryear Bridges are said to live on worth closed to $820,000, which is equivalent to closed to 3,565 bitcoin, at today’s bitcoin price.
Bridges Pleads Guilty to Theft
This week, inwards a filing at the San Francisco federal court, Bridges agreed to plead guilty for the theft of bitcoin that in ane trial belonged to Silk Road as well as to 2 other charges: money laundering as well as obstacle of justice.
“Mr. Bridges has regretted his actions from the really beginning,” Bridges’ lawyer, Steve Hale Levin said. “His conclusion to plead guilty reflects his consummate credence of responsibleness as well as is some other pace towards rehabilitation.”
Back inwards March, however, Bridges as well as Levin strongly denied the accusations.
“Mr. Bridges, a one-time constabulary enforcement officeholder amongst an unblemished record, maintains his innocence. He volition struggle the charges inwards the appropriate house at the appropriate time,” Levin said at the time.
The hearing engagement of the other agent behind the theft of bitcoin from Silk Road has been rescheduled to August, closed to the same fourth dimension Bridges is required to submit a plea.
Image yesteryear Fayerollinson / CC BY-SA 3.0
