DEA Agent Carl Force to Plead Guilty for Bitcoin Crimes

Tuesday, 23/06/2015 | 12:32 GMT by Leon Pick
  • Carl Force IV, the former DEA agent accused of a number of Bitcoin-related crimes, has reportedly reached a plea deal with prosecutors.
DEA Agent Carl Force to Plead Guilty for Bitcoin Crimes

Carl Force IV, the former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent accused of a number of Bitcoin-related crimes, has reportedly reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

The plea deal comes just days after that of Shaun Bridges, another federal agent in the Baltimore task force accused of fraud in relation to the Silk Road investigation.

While part of the Baltimore-based task force, Force posed as 'French Maid' and offered administrator Dread Pirate Roberts (DPR) information on the investigation for $100,000 in Bitcoin . He also posed as a drug dealer and offered to sell DPR information from a corrupt Justice Department employee. In both cases, he allegedly transferred the funds, amounting to over $400,000, to personal accounts. He later started a venture engaged in digital currency investments.

Outside of the Silk Road investigation, he also allegedly sent a fake subpoena to mobile Payments company Venmo, which had frozen his account due to suspicious activity. In addition, he allegedly abused his credentials to threaten bitcoin exchange Bitstamp, which had also frozen his funds.

He also managed to become an investor/compliance officer with crypto exchange CoinMKT, where he ordered the funds in one account to be frozen for suspicious activity. He then had the funds transferred to his personal account.

Force and prosecutors have requested that he enter his guilty plea to charges of money laundering and extortion on July 1.

Carl Force IV, the former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent accused of a number of Bitcoin-related crimes, has reportedly reached a plea deal with prosecutors.

The plea deal comes just days after that of Shaun Bridges, another federal agent in the Baltimore task force accused of fraud in relation to the Silk Road investigation.

While part of the Baltimore-based task force, Force posed as 'French Maid' and offered administrator Dread Pirate Roberts (DPR) information on the investigation for $100,000 in Bitcoin . He also posed as a drug dealer and offered to sell DPR information from a corrupt Justice Department employee. In both cases, he allegedly transferred the funds, amounting to over $400,000, to personal accounts. He later started a venture engaged in digital currency investments.

Outside of the Silk Road investigation, he also allegedly sent a fake subpoena to mobile Payments company Venmo, which had frozen his account due to suspicious activity. In addition, he allegedly abused his credentials to threaten bitcoin exchange Bitstamp, which had also frozen his funds.

He also managed to become an investor/compliance officer with crypto exchange CoinMKT, where he ordered the funds in one account to be frozen for suspicious activity. He then had the funds transferred to his personal account.

Force and prosecutors have requested that he enter his guilty plea to charges of money laundering and extortion on July 1.

About the Author: Leon Pick
Leon  Pick
  • 1998 Articles
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About the Author: Leon Pick
  • 1998 Articles
  • 5 Followers

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