Chowles used his insider access to take the cryptocurrency in 2017.
National Crime Agency officer Paul Chowles has been imprisoned after stealing £4.4 million in Bitcoin originally seized during a joint investigation with the FBI.
According to The Guardian, officials noted that Chowles used his insider access to take the cryptocurrency in 2017, two years after the investigation into cyber-criminal Thomas White had concluded. Chowles managed to avoid suspicion for five years, laundering the funds via the dark web and spending over £600,000 on everyday expenses, including groceries, fuel, and meals.
The theft came to light when White, under post-prison supervision, reported missing bitcoin and suspected internal foul play, prompting a closer look by authorities. Investigators linked Chowles to the stolen funds through digital evidence, including an iPhone, browser activity, and notebooks containing sensitive cryptocurrency information.
Prosecutor Alex Johnson noted Chowles was seen as "technically minded and very aware" of crypto tools, using mixing services in an attempt to hide the digital trail.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
