Patrick Steven Yaroch, a former FBI counterintelligence agent, has admitted to stealing nearly $2.5 million in cryptocurrency from adversarial nations and wallets under investigation. According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Virginia, Yaroch, 37, used his access to FBI systems to execute about 100 fraudulent transfers tied to 35 investigations, netting him $2,474,380.66 in illicit proceeds.
Yaroch pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, acknowledging that his actions compromised FBI investigations involving criminal groups and foreign entities. He had previously admitted to unauthorized transfers involving around $1 million in digital assets, as reported by Cointelegraph in August. The stolen funds were exchanged and laundered through financial transactions to obscure their origins.
The former agent intended to use the stolen cryptocurrency to pay off his debts and finance a new life in Portugal, where he planned to purchase a vineyard. Yaroch now faces up to 20 years in prison, with his sentencing scheduled for March 4, 2027.