How did the police officer end up becoming a thief?
In a major violation of trust within the law enforcement in the UK, Paul Chowles, a National Crime Agency (NCA) official, stole 50 Bitcoin (Btc) from a seized purse connected to Thomas White, an operator of Silk Road 2.0.
The robbery occurred in 2017 when the Cryptocurrency will be appreciated by a total of approximately 60,000 British pounds (around $ 79,000). By the time Chowles were caught, the crypto value rose to more than 4.4 million pounds (around $ 5.9 million). 42-year-old official from Bristol used the dark web and Crypto mixing services To divide the stolen bitcoin into smaller amounts, they will be moved Crypto exchange and prepaid cards to hide their resources.
Initially, investigators suspected that White had somehow re -accessing his funds during the care, but the detailed review of the blockchain revealed the chowles as a culprit. Him Arresting, convincing and five-and-a-half year sentence Show that blockchain monitoring can be exposed even the insider, proving that no one is above the law.
Background: Silk Road 2.0, Thomas White and the NCA
In 2013, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation closed an online market known as Silk Road, facilitating the trade of illegal drugs and goods on the dark web. Shortly thereafter, Silk Road 2.0 was launched by British National Thomas White, quickly gaining popularity.
The alternative of this site was also dismantled in 2014 through a partnership between UK authorities and the FBI. During the investigation, authorities confiscated 97 BTC from White. These funds are located in a “wallet wallet” and are assigned for seizure as part of his sentence.
Paul Chowles, a 42-year-old officer from Bristol, served as the lead crypto analyst for the NCA and was responsible for capturing and managing White’s cryptocurrency. The expertise of chowles is important in monitoring, securing and documenting digital assets for law enforcement.
Chowles’ role in White’s investigation gave him access and the opportunity to make one of the most important internal NCA robbery.
Do you know? In 2021, US authorities seized more than 94,000 BTC linked to the 2016 Bitfinex Hack, worth more than $ 3.6 billion at that time. It has marked one of the most significant financial seizures in US history.
How did Chowles make crypto theft?
Between May 6 and 7, 2017, Chowles made a robbery that eventually fired him from his job and took him to prison.
As the leading crypto analyst in the Thomas White Investigation, Chowles used his access privilege to secretly move 50 BTC, worth about 60,000 pounds, from the seized “purse retirement.” To hide the resource of stolen funds, he divided Bitcoin into smaller amounts and made them happy by Bitcoin fog, a crypto mixing service designed to not blur the transaction lanes.
Initially, investigators suspected of white, a skilled hacker, could access his confiscated possessions from prison. For years, the robbery remained unresolved, and in late 2021, the NCA considered 50 BTC unreliable. Chowles carefully planned to be successfully appeared until the blockchain examination later revealed his fraud and brought his actions.
After stealing funds from White’s seized purse, Chowles worked quietly to convert cash to cryptocurrency. As the value of Bitcoin increased between August 2021 and May 2022, he began exchanging parts of funds using Crypto -friendly platforms such as Cryptopay and Wirex.
These services enable Chowles to convert BTC to the British Pounds, which he has accessing through linked debit cards. During this time, chowles conducted 279 transactions, spend approximately 23,000 pounds between August 26, 2021, and May 20, 2022. Between August 30, 2021, and Feb.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Chowles, between August 27, 2021, and July 14, 2021, used the Wirex account and debit card to spend a total of 79,884.77 pounds (worth $ 107,438.62 on July 25, 2025). The CPS estimated its gains of 613,147.29 pounds (worth $ 824,634.05 on July 25, 2025).
The use of chowles of major financial platforms, accompanied by his careful efforts to disguise transactions, reflects his belief that he can avoid discovering. However, the volume and pattern of his expenditure provided key evidence that allowed investigators to monitor stolen funds.
Do you know? Governments in general auction seized Bitcoin. The US marshals’ service has sold thousands of BTCs since 2014, with several many -snap by earlier crypto adopters such as Tim Draper, which makes the government’s asset recovery in unexpected opportunities for investors.
Investigation and Chowles ‘procedure’
In early 2022, after his release, White found out the authorities that only an NCA insider could access the Private keys In his seized purse of Bitcoin, which motivated a police investigation of merseyside in Chowles.
Investigators seized the phone and notebook of Chowles, removal of credentials, browser history and purse details that were directly linked to him by stealing 50 BTC in 2017. Using the chainalysis analytics, authorities tracked stolen funds by bitcoin fog, a crypto-maxing service, in various exchanges, who have been able Chowles’ efforts to cover it.
The combination of digital forensics and blockchain analysis is exposed to its method. Chowles’s thorough attempt to avoid discovering that has not been opened. After nearly three years of legal trial, Chowles apologized in March 2025 for stealing, transferring criminal ownership and secretion of criminal ownership. His actions feature a serious issue of insufficiency of insider within law enforcement, giving his role as a trusted NCA crypto analyst.
In July 2025, the Liverpool Crown Court punished 42-year-olds to five and a half years in prison. On July 11, 2025, the NCA removed the chowles for serious wrongdoing. The subjection served as the same penalty and reminder that even those responsible for law enforcement faced its full consequences when they betray public trust.
Alex Johnson, a skilled prosecutor along with CPS, Nakasa said That chowles “took advantage of his position working on this investigation by placing his own pockets while creating a plan that he believed to ensure that suspicion would never fall for him.”
Detective Chief Inspector John Black, who investigates the Chowles with the help from the NCA, said, “This is so frustrating to everyone that someone involved in law enforcement may involve themselves in the criminality itself that they are responsible for investigating and avoiding.”
Aftermath and recovery asset from Chowles
After Chowles’ faith, authorities worked to recover the stolen cryptocurrency. They took nearly 470,000 pounds from chowles accounts and assets, which equates to 30 BTC in current values.
The CPS initiated ongoing confiscation proceedings to recover any remaining prohibited acquisitions for the state. The NCA also met the property that linked to the Silk Road 2.0 operator Thomas White. Of the 97 BTCs initially obtained from White, 47 BTCs remained with the NCA in accordance with the court’s order, forming approximately 1 million pounds.
These recovery shows increased state’s ability to monitor, seize and convert digital assets into funds, even if they have been -laundered or tied to complex criminal schemes, ensuring that criminals or evil insanity can escape from the result of their actions.
Do you know? Crypto seizures often involve cross-border cooperation. Agencies such as Europol, Interpol and the FBI share blockchain intelligence to recover illicit funds. These combined efforts have led to coordinated takedowns of darknet markets such as Hydra, where the road -millions of crypto have frozen and confiscated.
Basic lessons from Chowles’ crypto theft
Paul Chowles’ case serves as a reminder that even law -enforcement insurgents may be tempted to abuse the property they have entrusted to protect. However, it also features how transparency and advanced investigative tools can discover hidden crimes, even years after this.
Here are the basic lessons from the Chowles case and its wider implications:
- Blockchain tracking: Despite Chowles’ efforts to hide the robbery using Bitcoin fog, chainalysis monitored stolen funds almost five years later, showing the effectiveness of blockchain analytics.
- Insider Risks: Accessing Chowles with private keys and forensic tools shows how trusted officers can be risks, leading to demands for more strict internal care.
- Legal and Regulation Effects: The case emphasizes the need for improved protocols for handling cryptocurrency assets, resulting in improved processes of seizure and recovery and increased administration within law enforcement.
