Paul Chowles, a National Crime Agency officer from the UK, stole 50 Bitcoin from a seized wallet linked to Thomas White, the operator of Silk Road 2.0. The theft, which occurred in 2017 when Bitcoin was worth around £60,000, went unnoticed until blockchain analysis identified Chowles as the culprit. After initially being suspected of regaining access to the wallet, detailed investigations revealed his actions. Chowles used dark web services, including a crypto-mixing service, to obscure the transaction trail. He converted the stolen Bitcoin into cash using platforms like Cryptopay and Wirex, spending over £79,000 without immediate detection. However, his spending patterns raised suspicions, prompting an investigation that ultimately linked him to the theft. In March 2025, Chowles pleaded guilty to theft and was sentenced to five and a half years in prison, highlighting issues of insider misconduct within law enforcement. Authorities managed to recover approximately £470,000 from Chowles’ accounts equivalent to 30 BTC, emphasizing the state’s increasing capability to trace and reclaim stolen digital assets. The case illustrates blockchain's transparency and the risks posed by insiders in law enforcement.

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