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
26 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Two Southwest flight attendants injured after jet moved to avoid another aircraft
Find out what's new on ST website and app. WASHINGTON - Two flight attendants on a Southwest Airlines flight departing from Burbank, California, were injured and being treated on Friday after pilots took evasive action to avoid another aircraft, the airline said. Southwest Flight 1496 sharply descended nearly 500 feet, according to flight tracking websites. The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration said pilots took action after receiving alerts of a potential collision. The Southwest Boeing 737 continued on to Las Vegas, where it landed uneventfully. The FAA is investigating. No passengers were injured, but a passenger identified as Caitlin Burdi told Fox News Digital the sharp descent stirred panic onboard. "We really thought we were plummeting to a plane crash," she was quoted as saying. According to a statement from Southwest, the incident began when its crew responded to "two onboard traffic alerts" while taking off from Burbank, "requiring them to climb and descend to comply with the alerts." Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict continues Multimedia Lights dim at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Business Banking and finance jobs will change but won't disappear as AI becomes the new normal: Accenture Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Asia Hottest 'ticket' in Jakarta? Young Indonesians compete for a slot at singing club Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly The incident came a week after a SkyWest Airlines jet operating as a Delta Connection flight from Minneapolis reported taking evasive action to avoid a possible collision with a U.S. Air Force bomber during a landing approach over North Dakota. The FAA said on Monday it was investigating last Friday's near-miss incident involving SkyWest Flight 3788, an Embraer ERJ-175 regional jet, which landed safely at Minot, North Dakota. The Air Force confirmed a B-52 aircraft assigned to Minot Air Force Base had conducted a flyover of the North Dakota State Fair last Friday and that military investigators were looking into the matter. REUTERS
Straits Times
26 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Britain starts online checks to stop children accessing harmful content
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Around 6,000 pornography sites have agreed to implement the curbs. LONDON - Britain's new age verification measures to prevent children accessing harmful online content came into force on July 25, with campaigners hailing them a 'milestone' in their years-long battle for stronger regulations. Under the new rules, to be enforced by Britain's media watchdog, websites and apps hosting potentially harmful content will be held responsible for age checks using measures such as facial imagery and credit cards. Around 6,000 pornography sites have agreed to implement the curbs, according to Ms Melanie Dawes, chief executive of British regulator Ofcom. Other platforms such as X, which is facing a dispute over similar restrictions in Ireland, must also protect children from illegal pornographic, hateful and violent content, she noted. 'We've done the work that no other regulator has done,' Ms Dawes told BBC Radio. 'These systems can work. We've researched that,' she said. Around 500,000 youngsters aged eight to 14 encountered pornography online last month, according to Ofcom. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict continues Multimedia Lights dim at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Business Banking and finance jobs will change but won't disappear as AI becomes the new normal: Accenture Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Asia Hottest 'ticket' in Jakarta? Young Indonesians compete for a slot at singing club Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly The long-awaited new rules, which aim to prevent minors from encountering content relating to suicide, self-harm, eating disorders as well as porn, stem from a 2023 Online Safety Act. It imposes legal responsibilities on tech companies to better safeguard children and adults online and mandates sanctions for those who fall short. Rule-breakers face fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of their worldwide revenue, 'whichever is greater', according to the government. Criminal action can also be taken against senior managers who fail to ensure companies follow Ofcom information requests. The measures are coming into force now after the sector and the regulator were given time to prepare. Children will 'experience a different internet for the first time,' technology secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News, adding he had 'very high expectations' for the changes. In an interview with parenting forum Mumsnet, he also said sorry to youngsters who had been exposed to harmful content. 'I want to apologise to any kid who's over 13 who has not had any of these protections,' Mr Kyle said. Ms Rani Govender, of the child protection charity NSPCC, said it was 'a really important milestone that we're finally seeing tech companies having to take responsibility for making their services safe for children'. Children are frequently 'stumbling across this harmful and dangerous content,' she told BBC News. 'There will be loopholes,' Govender noted, insisting it was still 'right that we're introducing much stronger rules to make sure that that can't continue to happen'. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government is also considering introducing a daily two-hour limit for children on social media apps. Mr Kyle said he would announce more plans for regulating the sector for under-16s 'in the near future'. AFP
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Britain condemns Hong Kong's reward offers for suspects living in Britain
Find out what's new on ST website and app. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. LONDON - Britain on July 25 condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. 'The Hong Kong Police Force's issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,' Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a joint statement. Hong Kong authorities announced on July 25 that they are offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, accused of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The bounties range from about US$25,000 (S$32,000) to US$125,000, depending on the individual Hong Kong seeks. This is the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made this type of appeal, which has already drawn strong criticism from Western countries, which China in turn has denounced as 'interference'. In their statement, Mr Lammy and Ms Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain. Around 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Cambodia calls for ceasefire with Thailand after deadly clashes Asia 'Nothing like this has happened before': At least 16 dead as Thai-Cambodian conflict continues Multimedia Lights dim at South-east Asia's scam hub but 'pig butchering' continues Singapore SMRT to pay lower fine of $2.4m for EWL disruption; must invest at least $600k to boost reliability Business Banking and finance jobs will change but won't disappear as AI becomes the new normal: Accenture Singapore Tipsy Collective sues former directors, HR head; alleges $14m lost from misconduct, poor decisions Asia Hottest 'ticket' in Jakarta? Young Indonesians compete for a slot at singing club Singapore Kopi, care and conversation: How this 20-year-old helps improve the well-being of the elderly But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has sparked serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted. In their statement, the two British ministers said 'this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously'. AFP
