Corrupt NCA detective ordered to repay £1.8million Bitcoin stolen from dark web drug dealer
In this news:
Key takeaways
- Former NCA detective Paul Chowles was ordered to repay £1,810,678.93.
- Chowles stole 50 Bitcoin from a dark web drug dealer in 2017.
- The confiscation order value increased significantly due to the rise in Bitcoin prices.
A corrupt National Crime Agency detective jailed for stealing a drug dealer's Bitcoin has been ordered to repay more than £1.8million. Paul Chowles, 44, was jailed for five-and-a-half years for taking the money from a drug dealer who was under investigation in 2017. Thomas White, who operated a dark web marketplace known as 'Silk Road 2.0' from his Liverpool home, alerted police to Chowles after telling investigators he had been robbed. White operated online under the alias, “Dread Pirate Roberts”, a reference to the 1987 fantasy film The Princess Bride.
Concealing the stolen assets
Chowles's theft went undetected for five years as he used his expertise in cybercrime to try to conceal his ill-gotten gains. He stole and hid 50 Bitcoin that at the time was valued at approximately £60,000. However, due to the significant increase in the value of the cryptocurrency, the Crown Prosecution Service was able to secure a confiscation order against Chowles on Thursday for £1,810,678.93, which included the total value of the recovered 30 Bitcoin.
As part of the team working on the case, Chowles took part in the analysis and extraction of cryptocurrency from digital devices seized during the investigation. He later transferred the Bitcoin from a confiscated wallet and attempted to disguise the trail of the assets through a series of cryptocurrency transactions. Chowles, of Bristol, was arrested in May 2022 and his devices were seized. His iPhone linked to an account he had used to transfer the bitcoin. Several notebooks were discovered in his office which contained usernames, passwords, and statements relating to White's cryptocurrency accounts.
Proceeds of crime action
Luke Clements, of the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said: “Paul Chowles exploited a position of trust for personal gain, stealing assets that had already been recovered through law enforcement action. Confiscation Orders are a powerful tool in ensuring that crime does not pay. Today's Order sends a clear message that we will pursue offenders' assets relentlessly and seek to recover criminal proceeds wherever they are hidden. The CPS Proceeds of Crime Division will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to identify criminal benefit and take robust action to strip offenders of the profits of their crimes.”
Share the article:
Trending News & Crypto World
.png)
Latest Crypto News
Top Trending Cryptocurrencies on The Market
Current Price
$2.194
Market Cap
$381.6M 3.41%
24h Volume
$62.7M
Supplies
281.5M / ∞
Current Price
$1.041
Market Cap
$380.1M -0.71%
24h Volume
$17.5M
Supplies
365.0M / ∞
Current Price
$18.683
Market Cap
$375.5M 4.63%
24h Volume
$5.1M
Supplies
20.1M / 21.0M
Current Price
$0.08244
Market Cap
$374.1M 5.68%
24h Volume
$39.4M
Supplies
10.0B / ∞
Current Price
$0.000000386
Market Cap
$373.2M 5.35%
24h Volume
$10.8M
Supplies
990.0T / 990.0T
Current Price
$0.04453
Market Cap
$365.1M 5.92%
24h Volume
$8.0M
Supplies
10.0B / 10.0B
Current Price
$0.1087
Market Cap
$363.4M 1.12%
24h Volume
$8.0M
Supplies
10.0B / 10.0B
Current Price
$0.3896
Market Cap
$363.0M 5.55%
24h Volume
$4.8M
Supplies
931.0M / 1.0B
Current Price
$0.9993
Market Cap
$357.3M -0.02%
24h Volume
$6.5M
Supplies
357.6M / ∞
Current Price
$0.3224
Market Cap
$354.8M 3.60%
24h Volume
$7.3M
Supplies
1.1B / ∞
Current Price
$0.4151
Market Cap
$344.9M 3.67%
24h Volume
$49.2M
Supplies
1.0B / 1.0B
Current Price
$0.1334
Market Cap
$333.7M 11.45%
24h Volume
$12.0M
Supplies
10.0B / 10.0B