Ex-NCA officer ordered to surrender £1.8M for stealing seized Bitcoin
Paul Chowles helped himself to 50 coins while examining devices linked to Silk Road 2.0
Ex-NCA officer Paul Chowles has been ordered to surrender over £1.8 million for stealing 50 Bitcoin seized during an investigation into Silk Road 2.0. The 44-year-old transferred the stolen coins to an address under his control in May 2017 and later divided them into smaller amounts to route through a mixing service. By the time of his sentencing in July 2025, the value of the 50 Bitcoin was estimated at more than £4.4 million.
Liverpool Crown Court assessed Chowles' available amount at £1,810,678.93, and he was ordered to pay that sum. Chowles, who worked on the NCA investigation into criminal activity on Silk Road, pleaded guilty to theft, transferring criminal property, and concealing criminal property. The Crown Prosecution Service said the rise in Bitcoin's value helped increase the benefit attributed to Chowles' offending to £1,970,759.27.
Chowles was dismissed from the NCA on July 11, 2025, and was sentenced to five years and six months in prison after pleading guilty to the charges.
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