US Prosecutors Believe Ex-Secret Service Agent Stole More Bitcoin from Silk Road

The US government now believes a corrupt Secret Service agent may have stolen additional bitcoins during the Silk Road investigation.

AccessTimeIconFeb 24, 2016 at 9:25 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 4:36 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The US government believes that a former Secret Service agent convicted of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in bitcoin during the investigation of Silk Road may have been involved with additional thefts from the now-defunct online dark market.

Ex-Secret Service agent Shaun Bridges was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty last year to money laundering and obstruction charges tied to the theft of more than $800,000 in bitcoin from the Silk Road during the US government’s investigation.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • Bridges was re-arrested in late January on suspicion that he was going to attempt to flee the country. Since then, he has remained in the custody of the US Marshals Service, court records show.

    Now, the government is saying that it thinks that Bridges may have been involved with other, previously undisclosed thefts from the Silk Road, which was shuttered in late 2013. The disclosure came as part of 17th February response to a request by Bridges for a hearing on his detention.

    The filing states:

    "...the US had recently become aware of additional thefts of bitcoins from Secret Service accounts, the facts of which led the government to believe that Bridges, working with others, was also involved in these thefts."

    Bridges is also seeking to unseal the search and seizure warrants used during his arrest in January, court documents show. The government wants to prevent that action, citing the existence of suspected co-conspirators of Bridges.

    Disclosure of the warrants, the government said in a 22nd February court filing, "could jeopardize the new investigation by alerting additional targets of the investigation".

    The news marks the latest development in a case that has already seen high-profile twists and turns, including the revelation that a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent committed improprieties when investigating Silk Road.

    Convicted Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht has separately launched an appeal, arguing that the government committed various abuses in conjunction with the investigation and trial.

    Image via Shutterstock

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.