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

Patrick Steven Yaroch, a 37-year-old former FBI agent from Ashburn, Virginia, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, admitting to the theft of approximately $2.47 million in cryptocurrency. His actions, which took place between December 2024 and July 2026, involved exploiting his access to sensitive FBI investigation records.

Yaroch's guilty plea, secured by federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, revealed that he executed around 100 unauthorized transfers linked to 35 separate investigations. The stolen funds were taken from wallets associated with various subjects of FBI probes, including victims of financial crimes and adversarial nation-state actors.

According to court documents, Yaroch began his illicit activities by using his position to access cryptocurrency wallet credentials. He then transferred funds into wallets he controlled, conducting transactions that ranged from small amounts to over $580,000. To obscure the origins of the stolen assets, he converted them into different cryptocurrencies and moved them through various accounts.

Yaroch's scheme not only resulted in significant financial losses but also compromised ongoing FBI investigations, potentially exposing sensitive methods and intelligence operations. He reportedly used part of the stolen funds to pay off personal debts and financed plans to relocate to Portugal, where he intended to purchase a vineyard.

His guilty plea includes an agreement to pay at least $2.4 million in restitution and forfeit assets related to the theft, which encompass cryptocurrency holdings and funds in bank accounts. Sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027, with each charge carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.