NCA Officer Ordered to Repay £1.8M for Stealing Seized Bitcoin
A former National Crime Agency (NCA) officer has been ordered to repay over £1.8 million after stealing Bitcoin seized in a Silk Road 2.0 case.
In 2017, Paul Chowles, then 44, was investigating the dark web marketplace and helped himself to 50 of the 97 Bitcoin seized from Thomas White, a convicted administrator.
The coins were worth around £60,000 at the time but have since skyrocketed in value. By the time of sentencing in July 2025, their value had risen to over £4.4 million due to price increases.
Chowles transferred the Bitcoin into his own account and laundered them through various services before cashing out using debit cards.
It wasn't until 2022 that Chowles' private keys were discovered, allowing authorities to trace the funds back to him. He pleaded guilty to theft and transferring/concealing criminal property and was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.