Ex-FBI counterintelligence agent stole almost $2.5M in crypto — SkimNews
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- Yaroch, 37, admitted to wire fraud and money laundering for stealing almost $2.5 million in cryptocurrency from unidentified adversarial nations and from wallets under investigation.
- FBI systems gave Yaroch access through his investigative positions; he used that access to steal cryptocurrency, then exchanged and laundered it through financial transactions to conceal its source and ownership.
- About 100 fraudulent transfers tied to 35 FBI investigations yielded $2,474,380.66 in proceeds, according to a Thursday news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Virginia.
- FBI investigations involving criminal groups and adversarial nations were compromised by Yaroch’s unauthorized transfers.
- Cointelegraph reported in August that Yaroch had earlier admitted to unauthorized transfers involving about $1 million in digital assets.
- Portugal was where Yaroch planned to buy a vineyard and finance a new life with the proceeds; he had also paid off his debts.
- Yaroch faces up to 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 4, 2027.
Why it matters: Yaroch’s about 100 fraudulent transfers tied to 35 FBI investigations produced $2,474,380.66 in proceeds and compromised bureau work on criminal groups and adversarial nations. The damage therefore includes both stolen digital assets and weakened investigations, while Yaroch faces up to 20 years in prison.
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