According to new unsealed documents in the continuing case between the US government and a former Secret Service agent, who has been convicted of bitcoin theft during the Silk Road investigation, additional thefts could have taken place.
One of two former US federal agents – Shaun Bridges, was accused taking advantage of the situation during the Silk Road investigation, now-defunct dark market. During that time, the US government alleged that Bridges stole an amount of $800,000 in bitcoin seized from the Silk Road. Bridges was foundd guilty in summer, 2015 and sentenced to almost six years in prison in December.
As the documents showed during the weekend, Bridges is believed to have stolen even more funds, months after being charged. According to prosecutor, the government was investigating if Bridges took “approximately $700,000” in bitcoin around July 28 of the previous year, with another theft of around $20,000 in bitcoin in September 10 of the same year. The latter one was only two months before his sentencing and after he had already pled guilty. Albeit this theft occured after the above mentioned event, the Secret Service did not secure the funds, and only found the discrepancy when trying to return roughly 125 bitcoins seized from bitcoin exchange Bitstamp during its investigation into ex-DEA agent Carl Force IV.
As the emergency motion iforms:
“Unfortunately, the US Secret Service did not do so and the funds were thereafter stolen, something the US Secret Service only discovered once it was ordered to pay a portion of the seizure back to the affected claims. The government is now investigating both of these thefts as well as whether there were other thefts of digital currency aside from these.”
Bridges was suspected of trying to flee the US and re-arrested in February. Court documents from February suggested that Bridges was being investigated for additional bitcoin thefts.
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