Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty to Stealing $2.47 Million in Crypto From Investigations

According to Bitcoin Magazine, a former FBI agent named Patrick Steven Yaroch pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud and money laundering. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced that Yaroch stole approximately $2.47 million in cryptocurrency using wallet credentials collected during FBI investigations.

Prosecutors stated that Yaroch made about 100 fraudulent transfers tied to 35 separate investigations, drawing on wallets controlled by investigation subjects, nation-state actors, and an FBI-created wallet. Yaroch used his access in the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division to move coins into wallets he controlled, subsequently swapping the crypto into other digital assets to obscure its source. He used portions of the funds to cover personal debts, including credit cards and car payments. Court papers also noted he consulted ChatGPT regarding European Union living and investment options.

U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea. Yaroch faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 4, 2027.