A former FBI supervisor has pleaded guilty to stealing roughly $2.47 million in cryptocurrency tied to 35 separate investigations, according to The Washington Post. Prosecutors said the agent drained crypto wallets connected to the cases and planned to leave the country for Portugal, with reporting from FOX 5 DC and CryptoSlate putting the total at about $2.5 million.
Coverage of the case also indicates the agent used ChatGPT to ask about relocating to Portugal, with DailyVoice.com reporting that the chatbot suggested a vineyard there. The Washington Post described the theft as taking more than $2 million, including crypto, from crime victims.
The case stands out because the funds were tied to active investigations rather than an outside target. The agent's position gave access to wallets that belonged to the cases being worked, and prosecutors say that access was used to move the funds. The exact mechanics of how the wallets were accessed have not been detailed in the reporting summarized here.
The plea carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years, according to BigGo Finance. The charges and the amount at issue have been reported at slightly different figures across outlets, with The Washington Post citing over $2 million and other reports citing $2.47 million.
Sentencing details and a court date were not included in the available reporting. Watch for the sentencing schedule and whether prosecutors disclose how the stolen crypto was traced.