Former NCA Officer Ordered to Repay $2.38M for Stealing Silk Road 2.0 Bitcoin

A former National Crime Agency officer has been ordered to repay over $2.38 million for stealing 50 Bitcoin seized during an investigation into the Silk Road 2.0 dark-web marketplace.

Paul Chowles, 44, was sentenced in July 2025 to five and a half years in jail after pleading guilty to theft, transferring criminal property, and concealing criminal property. He was formally dismissed from the agency on July 11, 2025.

The Bitcoin, worth around $79,250 at the time of the theft in 2017, had skyrocketed in value due to its increasing price over the years. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Proceeds of Crime Division will use recovered funds to pay compensation to the victim.