U.K. police officer charged with Bitcoin theft worth over £3m

Paul Chowles, an operational officer of the British National Crime Agency, was accused of multiple offenses linked to the alleged diversion of Bitcoin during an investigation into organized online crime in 2017.

The Crown Prosecute Service allowed Merseyside police accused Chowles, 42, with 11 accusation chiefs, disguise or conversion of criminal goods, three chiefs of acquisition, use or possession of criminal goods, and a head of flight.

He should appear before the Liverpool court of first instance on April 25.

In a press release, Malcolm Mchaffe, head of the CPS special crime division, confirmed the accusations and reminded the public the right of the defendant to a fair trial.

“It is extremely important that there is no report, comments or online information sharing which could in any way prejudice these procedures,” he said.

The alleged flight dates back to 2017, when Bitcoin (BTC) was evaluated at around £ 1,200 per piece, which makes the 50 BTC in question of a value of around £ 60,000 at the time. However, the price of Bitcoin has increased since then, and 50 BTC were now worth more than 3 million pounds Sterling ($ 4.1 million) based on current market rates.

The NCA, responsible for combating serious and organized crime in the United Kingdom, has not yet published a statement concerning the case.

The authorities steal the bitcoin seized

This case echoes that of the Australian police officer William Wheatley, which faced legal proceedings For allegedly stolen 81.616 Bitcoin seized during a drug trafficking in 2019.

Prosecutors accused him of theft, crime product management and improper use of confidential information. His defense argued that the case was based on circumstantial evidence. The accusations arose from the Viridian operation, which targeted criminal networks using cryptocurrency for illicit transactions.

Chowles, from Bristol, is accused of offenses under the 2002 law on the crime and the law of 1968. If it is condemned, it could be confronted with important legal sanctions.