Ex-Secret Service Agent Bridges Pleads Guilty to Second Silk Road Charge

Thursday, 17/08/2017 | 11:03 GMT by Finance Magnates Staff
  • Bridges not only stole Bitcoin from accounts on the illegal website but infiltrated the US government's digital wallet.
Ex-Secret Service Agent Bridges Pleads Guilty to Second Silk Road Charge
Bloomberg

Shaun Bridges, a former secret service agent, has pleaded guilty to yet another charge of theft of bitcoins in the Silk Road case. Bridges is currently serving time for stealing $800,000 in Bitcoin .

Learn how to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum safely with our simple guide!

Bridges pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering on Tuesday in San Francisco Federal Court, which adds to his previous charges in relation to his involvement in the illegally run online marketplace. The latter was seized back in 2013 for offering drugs and other illegal products.

Bridges was a member of the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force, which assisted in shutting down the website and the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, the Texas native who operating it. Ulbricht has been convicted and given a life sentence. Despite his role in the investigation, Bridges pleaded guilty to counts of money laundering and obstruction of justice in 2015. He had stolen $800,000 worth of bitcoins from several accounts on the illegal website. Bridges has already received a sentence of 71 months in federal prison in December 2015, but was arrested again before he began serving his sentence.

The Justice Department commented in a press release that Bridges had been re-detained by authorities as new charges were introduced: “Prior to reporting to prison to begin serving his sentence for the 2015 conviction, Bridges was arrested and taken into custody on new charges related to another theft of approximately 1,600 bitcoin, valued at the time of the theft at approximately $359,005, (approximately $6.6 million today) from a digital wallet belonging to the U.S. government,” the Justice Department said in a press release Tuesday.

Bridges has also confessed to using a private key to the US government’s digital wallet and transferring money to his personal digital wallets at other exchanges, according to the Justice Department. Due to his actions, he might be facing 10 years added to his sentence.

Recently, the authorities shut down a similar website AlphaBay, which the first describe as ten times the size of Silk Road.

Shaun Bridges, a former secret service agent, has pleaded guilty to yet another charge of theft of bitcoins in the Silk Road case. Bridges is currently serving time for stealing $800,000 in Bitcoin .

Learn how to buy Bitcoin and Ethereum safely with our simple guide!

Bridges pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering on Tuesday in San Francisco Federal Court, which adds to his previous charges in relation to his involvement in the illegally run online marketplace. The latter was seized back in 2013 for offering drugs and other illegal products.

Bridges was a member of the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force, which assisted in shutting down the website and the arrest of Ross Ulbricht, the Texas native who operating it. Ulbricht has been convicted and given a life sentence. Despite his role in the investigation, Bridges pleaded guilty to counts of money laundering and obstruction of justice in 2015. He had stolen $800,000 worth of bitcoins from several accounts on the illegal website. Bridges has already received a sentence of 71 months in federal prison in December 2015, but was arrested again before he began serving his sentence.

The Justice Department commented in a press release that Bridges had been re-detained by authorities as new charges were introduced: “Prior to reporting to prison to begin serving his sentence for the 2015 conviction, Bridges was arrested and taken into custody on new charges related to another theft of approximately 1,600 bitcoin, valued at the time of the theft at approximately $359,005, (approximately $6.6 million today) from a digital wallet belonging to the U.S. government,” the Justice Department said in a press release Tuesday.

Bridges has also confessed to using a private key to the US government’s digital wallet and transferring money to his personal digital wallets at other exchanges, according to the Justice Department. Due to his actions, he might be facing 10 years added to his sentence.

Recently, the authorities shut down a similar website AlphaBay, which the first describe as ten times the size of Silk Road.

About the Author: Finance Magnates Staff
Finance Magnates Staff
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About the Author: Finance Magnates Staff
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