A former FBI agent has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $2.5 million in cryptocurrency by exploiting his access to sensitive investigation records, federal prosecutors said.
Patrick Steven Yaroch, 37, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty on November 5th, 2026, to wire fraud and money laundering, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Yaroch worked on an FBI squad focused on an adversarial nation-state before moving in 2025 to the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, where he gained access to cryptocurrency credentials collected during multiple probes.
Court records show he executed roughly 100 unauthorized transfers tied to 35 separate investigations between December 2024 and July 2026, collecting about $2,474,380.66.
Prosecutors said Yaroch used his position to steal cryptocurrency from wallets controlled by the subjects of various other investigations, by adversarial nation-state actors, and from at least one wallet the FBI created for use in an operation.
He swapped the stolen cryptocurrency for other digital assets and moved funds through various accounts, including a $93,082 series of transfers used to pay personal debts such as credit cards and loans.
Yaroch also consulted an AI chatbot about investment strategies and relocating abroad, which led him to arrange a vineyard purchase in Portugal through a power of attorney granted in June 2026.
His conduct undermined active FBI cases involving criminal groups and nation-state actors while exposing investigative sources and methods.
Sentencing is set for March 4th, 2027. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
