Ex-UK National Crime Agency officer jailed for stealing bitcoin from dark web drug dealer
FILE PHOTO: Representations of cryptocurrency Bitcoin are seen in this illustration taken November 25, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
LONDON - An officer with Britain's National Crime Agency who stole cryptocurrency from the operator of an illegal dark web marketplace was jailed on Wednesday for 5-1/2 years.
The NCA was investigating the Silk Road 2.0 site – which allowed users to buy drugs and other illicit goods after the original Silk Road was shut down by the FBI in 2013 – and arrested Liverpool-based Thomas White in 2014.
Intelligence officer Paul Chowles took the details of White's "retirement wallet" and stole 50 bitcoin before sending it to a cryptocurrency "mixing" service called Bitcoin Fog to obscure the source, prosecutors said.
Chowles, 42, appeared in Liverpool Crown Court having pleaded guilty to one count of theft, one count of transferring criminal property, and one count of concealing criminal property.
Prosecutor Craig Hassall said the bitcoin Chowles stole was worth just under 60,000 pounds (around $80,000) at the time of the theft in May 2017 and is now worth over 4 million pounds, though Chowles had realised nearly 145,000 pounds.
Chowles was dismissed by the NCA this month for gross misconduct after his guilty pleas, having been arrested in 2022.
The NCA initially thought White, who was jailed in 2019 for over five years, had managed to access his bitcoin wallet and remove the 50 missing bitcoin, Hassall said.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Over 600 Telegram groups in Singapore selling, advertising vapes removed by HSA
Singapore 2 weeks' jail for man caught smuggling over 1,800 vapes and pods into Singapore
Singapore Jail for man who fatally hit his daughter, 2, while driving van without licence
Sport 'Like being in a washing machine with 40 deg C water': Open water swimmers brave challenging conditions
Singapore Primary 1 registration: 38 primary schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2A
Singapore ComfortDelGro to introduce new taxi cancellation, waiting fee policy
Business Cathay Cineplexes gets fresh demands to pay up $3.3m debt for Century Square, Causeway Point outlets
Singapore Countering misinformation requires both laws and access to trusted news sources: Josephine Teo
The remaining 47 bitcoin in White's wallet were sold by the NCA for roughly 500,000 pounds, and the funds paid towards a 1.5 million-pound confiscation order made against White.
But police and the NCA began to investigate after White said he was not responsible for moving the 50 bitcoin, and usernames and passwords linked to White's cryptocurrency accounts were found in Chowles' notebooks when he was arrested.
Judge David Aubrey said bitcoin worth nearly 470,000 pounds was seized from Chowles, telling him: "Had you not been arrested, you would have continued to reap the rewards of your wrongdoing." REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
2 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Michelin Guide Singapore: 2 Japanese restaurants get one and two Michelin stars, 10 have dropped off
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Chefs from the three-Michelin-starred restaurants at the Michelin Guide Singapore ceremony. SINGAPORE - Two Japanese restaurants shared the Michelin-starred spotlight at the ninth edition of the Michelin Guide Singapore on July 24. They are Omakase@Stevens at Novotel Singapore On Stevens, which received one Michelin star while Sushi Sakuta at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel Singapore has been promoted from one to two star status. This marks a double-win for Omakase@Stevens' executive chef Kazuki Arimoto, 31, who also received the Young Chef Award. Omakase@Stevens' executive chef Kazuki Arimoto receiving the Young Chef Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO He joined the restaurant three years ago as its sous chef, and took over as executive chef in April 2024. He says: 'I'm so happy to have got one star and the Young Chef Award.' Sushi Sakuta's chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta, 47, was still in disbelief. He says: 'I'm so, so happy. I'm so appreciative of everyone who's supported us. We will continue to do our best every day and believe that we might add another star in the future.' 'This was a great showing for Japan,' adds Sushi Sakuta's head sommelier Iwabuchi Makoto, 41. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating Head sommelier Iwabuchi Makoto (left) and chef-owner Yoshio Sakuta of Sushi Sakuta receiving their two-Michelin-starred award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Singapore's trio of three-Michelin-starred establishments - Les Amis at Shaw Centre, Odette at the National Gallery Singapore and Zen in Bukit Pasoh Road - have maintained their stars. One-Michelin-starred establishment Seroja at Duo Galleria in Bugis as well as Fiz in Tanjong Pagar have also retained their Michelin Green Star, awarded to establishments for their sustainable practices and dining experiences. Other awards given out included the Service Award for Ms Ines Carriere Bega from Odette, as well as the Sommelier Award for Ms Bella Jankaew from the two-Michelin-starred Jaan by Kirk Westaway. Ms Ines Carriere Bega of Odette, winner of the Service Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Ms Bella Jankaew of Jaan by Kirk Westaway receiving the Sommelier Award. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO Amid the glitz and glamour of the award ceremony - attended by over 400 chefs, trade professionals, media and invited guests - there was the stark reality that 10 one-Michelin-starred restaurants have dropped off the list. Nine of them have closed. They are Art di Daniele Sperindio, Chef Kang's, Matera, Oshino, Poise, Rhubarb, Shinji, Sommer and Sushi Kimura. Rhubarb, which underwent a concept revamp in June, is now known as Encore by Rhubarb. It remains in its location in Duxton Hill. Terra Tokyo Italian in Tras Street has lost its star, and is now on the Michelin Select list. Such eateries are recognised by the Michelin Guide for their quality, but do not qualify for a Michelin star or Bib Gourmand title. There are 26 new establishments - a mix of restaurants and hawker stalls - on the Michelin Select list. They include Na Oh in Jurong West, Somma at New Bahru and Latido in Tras Street. The cocktail reception that followed the ceremony featured seven chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants across Asia, including Mingoo Kang from three-star Mingles in South Korea and Eric Raty of the two-star Arbor in Hong Kong.
Straits Times
11 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Budapest mayor says probe of banned Pride march sees him as a 'suspect'
BUDAPEST - The mayor of Budapest said on Thursday he had become a "suspect" in a police investigation targeting the organisers of an LGBTQ+ rights rally that turned into an anti-government protest last month. Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Hungary's capital city on June 28 as a banned Pride march swelled into a mass anti-government demonstration in one of the biggest shows of opposition to nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "I have become a suspect, and if in this country this is the price we have to pay for standing up for our own and others' freedom, then I am even proud of it," Mayor Gergely Karacsony said in a post on his Facebook page. Police did not reply to emailed Reuters questions seeking comment. The mayor's office told Reuters that Karacsony would be questioned by police as a suspect next week. Orban's conservative nationalist government has gradually curtailed the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the past decade, and lawmakers passed a law in March that allowed for the banning of Pride marches, citing the need to protect children. The mayor tried to circumvent the law by organising Pride as a municipal event, which he said did not need a permit. Police, however, banned the event, arguing that it fell under the scope of the child protection law. Orban had warned of "legal consequences" for organising and attending the march. Police said earlier that they would not investigate those who attended the event. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating But there is an investigation under way against an unknown perpetrator, news site said on Thursday. Orban's critics have regarded the move to ban Pride as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of an election next year when the Hungarian leader, whose Fidesz party has swept elections in the past 15 years, will face a strong opposition challenger. REUTERS
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russian attacks kill two in east Ukraine, 33 hurt in Kharkiv
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Burning cars are seen at the site of a Russian air strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine July 24, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova KHARKIV, Ukraine - Two people were killed in a Russian strike on eastern Ukraine on Thursday and at least 33 were wounded when Russian glide bombs struck a residential neighbourhood in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, regional officials said. The Donetsk regional prosecutor's office in eastern Ukraine said the two deaths were in the city of Kostiantynivka, where 12 people were also wounded. In Kharkiv, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said a 10-year-old child and a month-old infant were among those hurt when Ukraine's second-largest city was hit by two glide bombs - air-launched munitions fitted with wings and satellite-aided navigation to extend their range and precision. "These are utterly senseless strikes with no military purpose whatsoever," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy wrote on X. Thick black smoke billowed above the northern district of Kharkiv where a local business and an apartment bloc were damaged. Stunned residents fled, with some clutching children and flames engulfing parked cars. "I looked around and everything was smashed," said Yevhen Hanushchak, holding a crate with his cat outside a damaged apartment building. "Tons of smoke, people running and screaming, grabbing their things." Russia, which denies targeting civilians, has stepped up airstrikes on Ukrainian towns and cities since talks aimed at securing a ceasefire in its nearly 3-1/2 year-old-war in Ukraine stalled this year. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: People evacuated from border regions amid deadly Thailand-Cambodia clash Asia 11 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border: Reports Singapore Singapore says prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza is 'unconscionable' Singapore Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp Singapore First BTO flats in Greater Southern Waterfront, Mount Pleasant to go on sale in October Singapore Primary 1 registration: 29 schools to conduct ballot in Phase 2B Asia 'Vampire coach': Coercive blood sampling in school casts spotlight on Taiwan's culture of obedience Singapore 1,300 names, addresses of traffic offenders published online; police investigating Glide bombs have been particularly devastating in areas closer to the battlefield. The regional prosecutors said Thursday's attack was launched nearly 100 km (62 miles) away. REUTERS
