angelburst29
The Living Force
Shaun Bridges, the former Secret Service agent who pleaded guilty to stealing more than $800,000 in bitcoin while investigating Silk Road, is suspected in two other theft cases, according to a recently unsealed affidavit, Reuters reported. Bridges is believed to have stolen $700,000 of bitcoin from a Secret Service account three months after the agency was urged to remove his access to the account.
Former Secret Service Agent Bridges Suspected In Additional Bitcoin Thefts
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/former-secret-service-agent-bridges-suspected-additional-bitcoin-thefts/
The Secret Service did not move the funds, and later learned the funds were stolen. The theft was discovered after a court ordered the agency to pay claimants for their losses.
The former Secret Service agent pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for stealing more than $800,000 in bitcoin during the Silk Road investigation.
Secret Service Failed To Act The Justice Department learned in April 2015 that Bridges might have had a cryptographic key giving him access to a bitcoin wallet with $700,000 that the Silk Road task force seized in 2014, according to an affidavit unsealed Thursday. The department urged the agency to move the funds out of the wallet.
The Secret Service discovered the funds were stolen after a court ordered it to pay a portion to claimants, prosecutors noted in an accompanying motion. The bitcoin was moved in July 2015 but only discovered missing in December, the affidavit said.
The Secret Service and Bridges’ attorney, Steven Levin, chose not to comment.
Bridges admitted stealing money from Silk Road accounts and framed someone else for it, which led Silk Road chief Ross Ulbricht to plan a murder. Ulbricht is serving a life sentence.
Police Rearrest Bridges In February Police rearrested Bridges at his home this February after finding him with a bag containing corporate records for three offshore accounts, a bulletproof vest and a passport, CCN reported. This arrest occurred shortly before he was scheduled to turn himself in to start to serve a 71-month sentence in a New Hampshire minimum-security prison.
Bridges and former Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Carl Force each received more than 70 months for stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the Silk Road case undercover.
Judge Sentences Silk Road Administrator; Corrupt Agent Gets Rearrested
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/judge-sentences-silk-road-administrator-corrupt-agent-gets-rearrested/
Back dated 02/02/2016 - Green’s attorney, Scott Williams, said Silk Road owner Ross Ulbricht took advantage of Green, who he characterized as gentle and kind-hearted. Williams said Green’s life was put at risk by corrupt federal agents who blamed him for their corrupt actions and did little to protect him. Williams said he was not surprised the judge and the U.S. Attorney felt Green had been through enough.
Police Rearrest Shaun Bridges Meanwhile, police arrested Shaun Bridges at his home Thursday after finding him with a bag containing corporate records for three offshore accounts, a bulletproof vest and a passport. Bridges is a former Secret Service agent who pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the Silk Road case.
He was scheduled to turn himself in Friday to start to serve a 71-month sentence in a New Hampshire minimum-security prison.
Bridges and Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Carl Mark Force each received more than 70 months for stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the case undercover.
The Case Against Green, a Silk Road Admin Law enforcement arrested Green in 2013 as part of a cross-country investigation leading to the seizure of tens of millions of dollars in assets and arrests on three continents.
Green worked as a Silk Road administrator resolving disputes between sellers and buyers. Authorities identified him after sending a kilogram of cocaine to his home. Green agreed to talk to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force.
Agents identified the site’s administrator by his alias, “Dread Pirate Roberts.” They infiltrated his inner circle. The arrest of Jacob Theodore George IV who sold heroin and imported Chinese methylone on Silk Road provided agents inside access to the site.
Silk Road suffered a series of “sizable thefts” of currency connected with Green’s account after he was debriefed, according to court records. Green denied any involvement. The theft was later traced.
Task Force Fakes Murder Before the discovery of the theft, Dread Pirate Roberts contacted Force about commissioning Green’s murder. Dread Pirate Roberts wired $80,000 to Force to kill Green, authorities said. Task force members then faked Green’s death.
Bridges is a former Anne Arundel County public schools martial arts instructor and Maryland state trooper. He admitted he stole $350,000 worth of bitcoin which grew to $800,000 in value. Robert L. Ehrlich, a former governor, wrote a character letter on Bridge’s behalf seeking leniency.
Despite pleading guilty, Bridges might have intended to escape his prison sentence by fleeing the country along with some of his wealth, according to Wired. A prosecutor filing in the Northern District of California indicated the agents who arrested Bridges found him with a cell phone, documents relating to his wife’s citizenship application in a foreign country, and corporate records of at least three offshore entities in Mauritius, Nevis and Belize. Agents also found a MacBook with the serial number scratched off and bulletproof vests that prosecutors say Bridges stole from the Secret Service.
Prosecutors said the evidence indicates Bridges did not intend to report to prison as promised. They indicated there was additional evidence not yet revealed.
Steve Levin, Bridges’ attorney, said Bridges was detained at his home.
Ulbricht’s Lawyers File Appeal Ulbricht received a life sentence following a trial in New York City.
Last month, Ulbricht’s defense team filed an appeal brief focusing in part on Bridges and Force. Ulbricht’s lawyers wrote they were never informed of the accusations against Bridges until Ulbricht was convicted, even though the defense was informed of the sealed charges against Force and ordered to keep them confidential so as not to upset the investigation.
Siblings Arrested After $24M Drug Bust, Largest Money Seizure in Miami-Dade Police History (Video)
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Siblings-Arrested-After-Drug-Bust-Largest-Money-Seizure-in-Miami-Dade-Police-History-384888001.html
Police made quite the discovery when raiding a home in Miami Lakes on Tuesday: over $24 million from a suspected marijuana trafficker, the largest money seizure in the department's history.
Authorities found the money stuffed in dozens of five-gallon buckets located in a hidden attic compartment inside the home, located off Northwest 169th Terrace and 77th Path.
Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez, 44, was taken into custody on several drug and firearms charges stemming from an investigation by the Miami-Dade police and the Drug Enforcement Agency. His sister, Salma Hernandez, 32, was also arrested.
Both siblings appeared in court Wednesday, with Hernandez-Gonzalez ordered held on more than $4 million bond. His sister was given a $12,500 bond, and her defense attorney said she expects to be released Thursday.
Police said Hernandez-Gonzalez, who runs The Blossom Experience store in Miami-Dade, was involved in trafficking marijuana to Tennessee along with two other men. He had been the target of an investigation dating back to 2010, speaking with informants about the drug trade, according to police.
The store’s website proclaims its expertise in indoor gardening needs and lists items including lights and fans. The business was raided as part of the operation, with officers finding drugs and $180,000 in a safe.
Hernandez-Gonzalez was recorded on various phone calls giving advice on how to care for the plants. After his arrest, Hernandez-Gonzalez allegedly admitted to helping customers grow the drug.
Authorities said Salma Hernandez works at the shop with her brother.
Information on attorneys for the two was not immediately available.
Former Secret Service Agent Bridges Suspected In Additional Bitcoin Thefts
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/former-secret-service-agent-bridges-suspected-additional-bitcoin-thefts/
The Secret Service did not move the funds, and later learned the funds were stolen. The theft was discovered after a court ordered the agency to pay claimants for their losses.
The former Secret Service agent pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for stealing more than $800,000 in bitcoin during the Silk Road investigation.
Secret Service Failed To Act The Justice Department learned in April 2015 that Bridges might have had a cryptographic key giving him access to a bitcoin wallet with $700,000 that the Silk Road task force seized in 2014, according to an affidavit unsealed Thursday. The department urged the agency to move the funds out of the wallet.
The Secret Service discovered the funds were stolen after a court ordered it to pay a portion to claimants, prosecutors noted in an accompanying motion. The bitcoin was moved in July 2015 but only discovered missing in December, the affidavit said.
The Secret Service and Bridges’ attorney, Steven Levin, chose not to comment.
Bridges admitted stealing money from Silk Road accounts and framed someone else for it, which led Silk Road chief Ross Ulbricht to plan a murder. Ulbricht is serving a life sentence.
Police Rearrest Bridges In February Police rearrested Bridges at his home this February after finding him with a bag containing corporate records for three offshore accounts, a bulletproof vest and a passport, CCN reported. This arrest occurred shortly before he was scheduled to turn himself in to start to serve a 71-month sentence in a New Hampshire minimum-security prison.
Bridges and former Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Carl Force each received more than 70 months for stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the Silk Road case undercover.
U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Md. sentenced a Utah man whose faked murder helped law enforcement put an end to the Silk Road Marketplace, according to The Baltimore Sun. The court sentenced Curtis Clark Green, a senior administrator for the Silk Road website, to time served — two days — and four years of supervised release for his role in running the site. Green, 50 was awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Judge Sentences Silk Road Administrator; Corrupt Agent Gets Rearrested
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/judge-sentences-silk-road-administrator-corrupt-agent-gets-rearrested/
Back dated 02/02/2016 - Green’s attorney, Scott Williams, said Silk Road owner Ross Ulbricht took advantage of Green, who he characterized as gentle and kind-hearted. Williams said Green’s life was put at risk by corrupt federal agents who blamed him for their corrupt actions and did little to protect him. Williams said he was not surprised the judge and the U.S. Attorney felt Green had been through enough.
Police Rearrest Shaun Bridges Meanwhile, police arrested Shaun Bridges at his home Thursday after finding him with a bag containing corporate records for three offshore accounts, a bulletproof vest and a passport. Bridges is a former Secret Service agent who pleaded guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the Silk Road case.
He was scheduled to turn himself in Friday to start to serve a 71-month sentence in a New Hampshire minimum-security prison.
Bridges and Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Carl Mark Force each received more than 70 months for stealing hundreds of thousands in digital currency while working on the case undercover.
The Case Against Green, a Silk Road Admin Law enforcement arrested Green in 2013 as part of a cross-country investigation leading to the seizure of tens of millions of dollars in assets and arrests on three continents.
Green worked as a Silk Road administrator resolving disputes between sellers and buyers. Authorities identified him after sending a kilogram of cocaine to his home. Green agreed to talk to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force.
Agents identified the site’s administrator by his alias, “Dread Pirate Roberts.” They infiltrated his inner circle. The arrest of Jacob Theodore George IV who sold heroin and imported Chinese methylone on Silk Road provided agents inside access to the site.
Silk Road suffered a series of “sizable thefts” of currency connected with Green’s account after he was debriefed, according to court records. Green denied any involvement. The theft was later traced.
Task Force Fakes Murder Before the discovery of the theft, Dread Pirate Roberts contacted Force about commissioning Green’s murder. Dread Pirate Roberts wired $80,000 to Force to kill Green, authorities said. Task force members then faked Green’s death.
Bridges is a former Anne Arundel County public schools martial arts instructor and Maryland state trooper. He admitted he stole $350,000 worth of bitcoin which grew to $800,000 in value. Robert L. Ehrlich, a former governor, wrote a character letter on Bridge’s behalf seeking leniency.
Despite pleading guilty, Bridges might have intended to escape his prison sentence by fleeing the country along with some of his wealth, according to Wired. A prosecutor filing in the Northern District of California indicated the agents who arrested Bridges found him with a cell phone, documents relating to his wife’s citizenship application in a foreign country, and corporate records of at least three offshore entities in Mauritius, Nevis and Belize. Agents also found a MacBook with the serial number scratched off and bulletproof vests that prosecutors say Bridges stole from the Secret Service.
Prosecutors said the evidence indicates Bridges did not intend to report to prison as promised. They indicated there was additional evidence not yet revealed.
Steve Levin, Bridges’ attorney, said Bridges was detained at his home.
Ulbricht’s Lawyers File Appeal Ulbricht received a life sentence following a trial in New York City.
Last month, Ulbricht’s defense team filed an appeal brief focusing in part on Bridges and Force. Ulbricht’s lawyers wrote they were never informed of the accusations against Bridges until Ulbricht was convicted, even though the defense was informed of the sealed charges against Force and ordered to keep them confidential so as not to upset the investigation.
On another note: More than "siblings" involved in this operation? $24 Million in cash - drug bust?
Authorities found the money stuffed in dozens of five-gallon buckets located in a hidden attic compartment inside the home.
Siblings Arrested After $24M Drug Bust, Largest Money Seizure in Miami-Dade Police History (Video)
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Siblings-Arrested-After-Drug-Bust-Largest-Money-Seizure-in-Miami-Dade-Police-History-384888001.html
Police made quite the discovery when raiding a home in Miami Lakes on Tuesday: over $24 million from a suspected marijuana trafficker, the largest money seizure in the department's history.
Authorities found the money stuffed in dozens of five-gallon buckets located in a hidden attic compartment inside the home, located off Northwest 169th Terrace and 77th Path.
Luis Hernandez-Gonzalez, 44, was taken into custody on several drug and firearms charges stemming from an investigation by the Miami-Dade police and the Drug Enforcement Agency. His sister, Salma Hernandez, 32, was also arrested.
Both siblings appeared in court Wednesday, with Hernandez-Gonzalez ordered held on more than $4 million bond. His sister was given a $12,500 bond, and her defense attorney said she expects to be released Thursday.
Police said Hernandez-Gonzalez, who runs The Blossom Experience store in Miami-Dade, was involved in trafficking marijuana to Tennessee along with two other men. He had been the target of an investigation dating back to 2010, speaking with informants about the drug trade, according to police.
The store’s website proclaims its expertise in indoor gardening needs and lists items including lights and fans. The business was raided as part of the operation, with officers finding drugs and $180,000 in a safe.
Hernandez-Gonzalez was recorded on various phone calls giving advice on how to care for the plants. After his arrest, Hernandez-Gonzalez allegedly admitted to helping customers grow the drug.
Authorities said Salma Hernandez works at the shop with her brother.
Information on attorneys for the two was not immediately available.