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Ex-FBI agent charged with stealing nearly $1M in cryptocurrency
Prosecutors allege the defendant accessed FBI systems to copy wallet seed phrases tied to investigations and later sought ChatGPT guidance on investing and relocating to Europe.
A former FBI supervisory special agent, Patrick Steven Yaroch, has been charged with stealing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency and moving the funds into accounts under his control, according to court documents summarized by Decrypt.
Prosecutors allege the thefts occurred between early 2025 and July 2026 while Yaroch worked in the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division and held a Top Secret security clearance. The complaint says he accessed FBI systems to obtain cryptocurrency wallet seed phrases connected to investigations, memorized the recovery phrases, created his own wallet, and transferred funds into his control about 10 times.
Investigators say Yaroch told them the holdings grew to about $1 million. During searches of his home and devices, agents recovered a Trezor hardware wallet and handwritten seed phrases, along with evidence including a Kraken account with about $188,570, including roughly $166,000 in U.S. dollars and nearly $18,000 in USDC.
The affidavit also describes ChatGPT-related activity on Yaroch's phone. Prosecutors say that on May 28 he asked how to invest or spend about $1 million “to maximize profit and return,” and that less than a week later he asked for guidance on leaving the U.S. and becoming a resident or citizen of an EU country.