Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty to Stealing $2.47 Million in Cryptocurrency

A former FBI agent from Virginia has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering after stealing nearly $2.5 million in cryptocurrency using credentials obtained through federal investigations, the Justice Department announced.

Prosecutors said the former counterintelligence agent carried out about 100 unauthorized transfers involving credentials associated with 35 FBI investigations. The scheme generated $2,474,380.66 in proceeds.

The thefts began no later than December 2024 and involved wallets controlled by investigation subjects, adversarial nation-state actors and at least one wallet created for an FBI operation. The agent's work had given him access to sensitive cryptocurrency credentials held in FBI systems.

According to prosecutors, he moved the stolen assets through cryptocurrency transactions to conceal their origin and used some of the proceeds to pay personal debts. The Justice Department said his actions also disrupted investigations and compromised sensitive intelligence methods and sources.

Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison; the judge will determine the sentence under federal law and sentencing guidelines.