U.S. FBI intelligence agent arrested in connection with theft of $1 million in crypto
The agent, who had "top secret" clearance and worked in FBI headquarters, was accused of taking crypto from wallets the agency had investigated.
Patrick Steven Yarmoch, a supervising FBI agent with intelligence expertise, has been arrested and charged with stealing over $1 million worth of cryptocurrency. According to a federal court filing on August 1, Yarmoch allegedly accessed FBI systems, extracted crypto keys, and transferred funds to himself from accounts linked to foreign individuals he had investigated.
The 39-year-old special agent, who held a top secret security clearance, was assigned to the counterintelligence division at FBI headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he focused on an unnamed adversary nation. Yarmoch was suspended for a few days before being terminated and arrested on July 31. He resided in Ashburn, Virginia, and had previously worked out of Boston's national-security unit.
The FBI discovered evidence of Yarmoch's illicit activities through searches of his computer and phone records, including questions to AI applications about transferring large sums and potential relocation to EU countries. Additionally, investigators found travel plans for Yarmoch and his family to Portugal, which he hadn't reported to the FBI, in violation of agency guidelines. Yarmoch was subsequently placed in detention in Alexandria, Virginia.
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