FBI agent charged with stealing $1 million in crypto, used ChatGPT to plan fund movement and exit

ChainCatcher report: FBI agent Patrick Yaroch was arrested last Friday on suspicion of stealing approximately $1 million in crypto assets from “adversarial crypto accounts.” According to the submitted affidavit, Yaroch is alleged to have begun transferring these assets by late 2024 or early 2025. Yaroch told investigators that he discovered keys allowing him to transfer funds from digital wallets to himself, stating he was frustrated by his inability to further prevent individuals associated with “adversarial nations” from using cryptocurrency and carried out about a dozen transfers. Department of Justice documents reveal that Yaroch admitted to a DOJ employee that he made “some very bad decisions” regarding crypto wallets. During another interview with federal agents, he also acknowledged that he “messed up.” Yaroch previously served as a Supervisory Special Agent in the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division at FBI Headquarters and had earlier been assigned to the FBI’s Boston field office. The FBI terminated his employment on July 31. The investigation also found that Yaroch commingled personal funds with crypto assets and consulted ChatGPT on how to handle the funds, including inquiries about how to spend or invest the $1 million and whether to leave the United States for a European country.