How a police officer stole 50 BTC from a seized crypto wallet and got caught
Main Idea
A UK National Crime Agency officer, Paul Chowles, stole 50 BTC from a seized crypto wallet linked to Silk Road 2.0 operator Thomas White, but was eventually caught and sentenced to prison.
Key Points
1. Paul Chowles, a 42-year-old NCA officer, stole 50 BTC (worth ~£60,000 in 2017) from a seized wallet connected to Silk Road 2.0 operator Thomas White.
2. Chowles used his privileged access as the lead crypto analyst to transfer the BTC and attempted to obscure the theft using Bitcoin Fog, a crypto-mixing service.
3. By the time Chowles was caught, the stolen BTC had surged in value to over £4.4 million (~$5.9 million).
4. Investigators traced the stolen funds using blockchain analytics, leading to Chowles' arrest, guilty plea, and a 5.5-year prison sentence in 2025.
5. Authorities recovered nearly £470,000 (~30 BTC at current value) from Chowles' accounts and assets post-conviction.
Description
A police officer’s 50-BTC theft was unraveled by blockchain tracking. Investigators traced the funds and brought him to justice.
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