An FBI agent has been fired and charged after hevallegedly stole more than $900,000 in Cryptocurrency.
The cryptocurrency was taken from accounts the FBI was monitoring after he said he was frustrated by his perceived government inaction over the misuse of crypto accounts, according to court records.
Patrick Steven Yaroch discovered the crypto holdings while a member of the FBI’s national security investigative squad focused on an “adversarial nation.”
He said he grew “frustrated when he could not do more to disrupt” an unnamed person’s use of the crypto accounts, per an affidavit in Yaroch’s case.
He used his internal agency access to allegedly transfer the crypto holdings to his personal account.
Yaroch was fired from the FBI and arrested last week.
The criminal charges listed against him include interstate transport of stolen goods and the receipt of stolen goods.
The affidavit showed how artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies are making an impact on criminal investigations.
The month before his arrest, Yaroch allegedly asked ChatGPT: “If you had a bucket of money (around $1 million) and you wanted to leave the USA and become a resident or citizen of an EU country, what would you do?”
According to the affidavit, ChatGPT responded, with an answer catered to Yaroch’s age and lifestyle.
“At 37, with a young family, a goal of potentially retiring around 40, and a clear interest in eventually building a slower-living vineyard/agricultural lifestyle in places like Cilento or Portugal’s Dão region…”
“As soon as the FBI became aware of these allegations, we immediately took action, began an investigation, and ultimately executed an arrest warrant for this individual last week,” an FBI spokesperson said. “We hold our employees to the highest ethical standards, and this conduct is not tolerated at the FBI. We are conducting a thorough investigation in the aftermath, and as this is an ongoing matter, we will have no further comment.”
The affidavit included details gleaned from interviews with Yaroch.
“I f***ed up,” Yaroch told FBI agents when they interviewed him at his house last month, according to the affidavit.