A former FBI agent has pleaded guilty to stealing almost $2.5 million in cryptocurrency from accounts connected to federal investigations, including money belonging to victims of financial crimes.
He also reportedly planned to take his ill-gotten wealth to Portugal, where he considered buying a vineyard. As one does.
According to the Department of Justice, Patrick Steven Yaroch, 37, of Ashburn, Virginia, stole approximately $2.47 million in cryptocurrency using his access to FBI systems. Some of the stolen funds belonged to people the FBI was supposed to help.
Yaroch pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering last week. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2027, and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Former FBI Agent Stole Millions From Cryptocurrency Accounts
Between December 2024 and July 2026, Yaroch made approximately 100 fraudulent cryptocurrency transfers involving 35 FBI investigations.
The Washington Post reports that at least 10 victims of financial crimes had cryptocurrency stolen from accounts connected to the investigations. Other stolen funds came from accounts linked to foreign adversaries, and even a cryptocurrency wallet the FBI had created for an operation.
The individual transfers ranged from just 81 cents to more than $580,000. Prosecutors described Yaroch’s thefts as “indiscriminate.”
He then moved the stolen cryptocurrency through additional transactions and converted it into other digital currencies to conceal its origin. Some of the money went toward paying credit card bills, car payments, and other debts.
FBI Agent Asked ChatGPT About Starting A New Life In Portugal
According to a federal search warrant affidavit, investigators found that Yaroch had also used ChatGPT to try to figure out what to do with his money.
“If you had a bucket of money (around $1 million) and you wanted to leave the USA and become a resident or citizen of an EU country, what would you do?” he asked. One suggestion was Portugal, where he could potentially buy a vineyard.
Apparently, that sounded pretty good to Yaroch.
He reportedly hired Portuguese attorneys to help establish his legal and financial affairs in the country and booked a September trip with his family. Unfortunately for him, he was arrested in July before he could make that move. So much for that sweet vineyard in Portugal.
The case comes just weeks after another former intelligence official, David Rush, admitted to stealing nearly $194 million through a fake CIA program. Federal agents also discovered hundreds of gold bars worth more than $40 million inside Rush’s Virginia home.