DOJ: FBI Supervisor Confessed to Stealing $1 Million in Cryptocurrency
An FBI supervisory agent is accused of stealing about $1 million in cryptocurrency from accounts belonging to a suspect overseas that the FBI was investigating.
According to court documents, FBI agent Patrick Steven Yaroch– who served as a supervisor in the counterintelligence division– came forward to confess, telling a Department of Justice (DOJ) employee that the theft was “eating him up inside,” and he wanted to “get it off his chest.”
Yaroch– who had been with the FBI since 2017– became aware of the cryptocurrency accounts in November 2024 in the course of his investigative work. Prosecutors say Yaroch became frustrated that the FBI "could not or would not act" on the accounts and allegedly decided to transfer the funds himself.
The defendant allegedly used his top-secret security clearance to gain access to the adversarial accounts– initiating 10 to 12 transfers into his own account amounting to around $1 million.
Investigators also found searches on Yaroch's phone asking ChatGPT how to invest or spend $1 million to maximize returns. According to court documents, he also told ChatGPT he was 37 with a young family and hoped to retire around age 40 in a country such as Portugal.
In a statement, the FBI said it took immediate action, firing Yaroch on July 31, the same day as his arrest.
“The individual has since been fired from the Bureau. We hold our employees to the highest ethical standards, and this conduct is not tolerated at the FBI,” a spokesperson told NBC News. “We are conducting a thorough investigation in the aftermath, and as this is an ongoing matter, we will have no further comment.”
Yaroch was charged with interstate transportation and receipt of stolen goods, securities, and monies.
