FBI Agent Accused of Stealing $900K in Cryptocurrency

An FBI agent has been accused of stealing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency from accounts the agency was monitoring. Patrick Steven Yaroch, who worked on the FBI's national security investigative squad, allegedly transferred the crypto holdings to his personal account after becoming frustrated with what he saw as government inaction over the misuse of crypto accounts.

The agent was fired and arrested last week, and a criminal complaint lists charges related to the interstate transport of stolen goods and the receipt of stolen goods. An attorney for Yaroch is not listed in court records.

The FBI gathers intelligence on cryptocurrency accounts allegedly used by criminal and state actors, but decides on a case-by-case basis whether to seize them or use them to collect more intelligence. In this case, Yaroch's actions were discovered after he allegedly asked ChatGPT for advice on what to do with the stolen funds.

The FBI spokesperson said they took immediate action when they became aware of the allegations and began an investigation. The agent reportedly told FBI agents that he 'f, d up' when interviewed about the incident.