Former UK Crime Agency Investigator Ordered to Repay $2.4 Million After Taking 50 Bitcoin From Seized Wallet
Summary
- A former UK National Crime Agency investigator was ordered to repay 1.81 million pounds ($2.4 million) after stealing 50 Bitcoin from a seized wallet.
- He transferred 50 Bitcoin from the seized wallet to his own address, and the holdings were worth about 60,000 pounds ($77,000) at the time.
- The stolen Bitcoin was split into smaller amounts and cashed out through Bitcoin Fog, Cryptopay, and Wirex debit cards, totaling 144,580 pounds.
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A former investigator at the UK National Crime Agency has been ordered to repay 1.81 million pounds ($2.4 million) after stealing 50 Bitcoin from a wallet seized during a dark web investigation.
Crypto news outlet Decrypt reported on October 30 that the UK Crown Prosecution Service said Paul Chowles of Bristol diverted the Bitcoin while handling crypto-asset analysis and extraction from devices seized by the Silk Road 2.0 investigation team.
Chowles transferred 50 Bitcoin from the seized wallet to his own address in May 2017. The holdings were worth about 60,000 pounds ($77,000) at the time.
He split the stolen Bitcoin into smaller amounts, routed them through the mixing service Bitcoin Fog, and later cashed out using debit cards from Cryptopay and Wirex. Authorities counted 279 related transactions totaling 144,580 pounds.
Chowles pleaded guilty to theft and to transferring and concealing criminal proceeds. He was sentenced in July 2025 to five years and six months in prison.
JH Kim
reporter1@bloomingbit.ioHi, I'm a Bloomingbit reporter, bringing you the latest cryptocurrency news.