Ex-NCA Officer Must Repay $2.4M for Bitcoin He Stole When It Was Worth $77K
Summary
Former National Crime Agency officer Paul Chowles has been ordered to repay £1,810,678.93 under the Proceeds of Crime Act after stealing 50 Bitcoin from a wallet seized in a dark web investigation. The coins were worth about £60,000 when taken in 2017, but their value rose sharply over time. Chowles, 44, worked on the Silk Road 2.0 case, moved the Bitcoin out of a confiscated wallet, split and laundered it through Bitcoin Fog, then spent it via Cryptopay and Wirex cards in 279 transactions. He was jailed in July 2025 for five years and six months after pleading guilty to theft, transferring criminal property, and concealing criminal property. A compensation order was also made for the victim.
