Former FBI agent pleads guilty to stealing $2.47M in crypto from 35 investigations

Former FBI agent Patrick Steven Yaroch has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering after stealing approximately $2.47 million in cryptocurrency through nearly 100 unauthorized transfers linked to 35 federal investigations. Summary Former FBI agent Patrick Yaroch pleaded guilty to stealing $2.47 million in cryptocurrency using investigative credentials. Prosecutors identified approximately 100 fraudulent cryptocurrency transfers involving wallet credentials linked to 35 FBI investigations. Yaroch laundered stolen cryptocurrency through multiple transactions and used some proceeds to repay personal debts. The former agent consulted ChatGPT about relocating to Portugal and subsequently engaged lawyers for tax registration. Yaroch faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 4, 2027. According to a November 5 announcement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the 37-year-old used cryptocurrency wallet credentials collected during FBI investigations to steal funds from accounts belonging to investigative subjects, foreign adversaries and at least one wallet created for an FBI operation. Yaroch, who previously worked in the bureau’s counterintelligen...