Corrupt Federal Agent, Who Stole Bitcoins From Silk Road, Pleads Guilty To Money Laundering

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 one-time the U.S.A. Secret Service agent who stole hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Bitcoins during an investigation into then-largest tube marketplace Silk Road has immediately pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Shaun W. Bridges is 1 of ii one-time U.S. undercover agents who pleaded guilty inwards 2015 to 1 count of money laundering together with 1 count of obstacle together with was sentenced inwards Dec same twelvemonth to almost vi years inwards prison theatre for stealing over $800,000 inwards Bitcoin spell investigating Silk Road.

35-years-old Bridges, who had been a Special Agent alongside the U.S. Secret Service for almost 6 years, along alongside his partner stole money from Silk Road accounts together with framed someone else for the laundering, which fifty-fifty led the Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht to innovation a murder.

Ulbricht was convicted inwards Feb 2015 of running the Silk Road tube dark marketplace together with is immediately serving life inwards prison theatre sentence.

According to the Department of Justice, Bridges is believed to accept stolen additional funds from a digital wallet belonging the Secret Service on ii unlike occasions months after he was initially charged.

The missing Bitcoins were constitute past times the Secret Service means inwards Dec when Bridges was sentenced after admitting that he moved together with stole to a greater extent than or less 1,600 Bitcoin (at the fourth dimension valued nearly $359,005 together with almost $6.6 1 1000 1000 today).

According to his guilty plea inwards this case, Bridges said it used a mortal fundamental to access a digital wallet belonging to the Secret Service account, together with afterwards transferred the bitcoins to "other digital wallets at other Bitcoin exchanges to which alone he had access."

"In the course of educational activity of the investigation, U.S. agents were able to locate together with seize to a greater extent than or less 600 of the stolen bitcoin and, every bit business office of his plea, Bridges agreed to hand the remaining stolen Bitcoin," the DoJ said inwards the statement.

Silk Road was close downward inwards 2013 after the arrest of Ulbricht. The FBI seized bitcoins (worth close $33.6 million, at the time) from the site, which were later sold inwards a serial of auctions past times the U.S.A. Marshals Service (USMS).

Before the shutdown, Silk Road was 1 of the most extensive, sophisticated, together with widely-used illegal marketplaces on the internet.

The other Bridges' partner is a 47-year-old one-time Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) especial agent Carl Mark Force, who is too facing criminal charges.

On Tuesday, Bridges pleaded guilty to 1 count of money laundering earlier the U.S.A. District Court Judge of the Northern District of California. He volition last sentenced on Nov 7, 2017.

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