FBI Agent Charged in $1M Crypto Theft After Allegedly Using ChatGPT to Plan Escape

The Department of Justice indicted a supervisory FBI agent for stealing nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency during an investigation, according to court filings. Patrick Steven Yaroch, a counterintelligence agent with a Top Secret clearance, allegedly moved digital assets from government-monitored wallets into his own accounts in 2024 and 2025.

The DOJ said Yaroch learned seed phrases from the investigation, set up his own wallets, and transferred funds in multiple transactions. Investigators recovered about $925,426 of the stolen assets and are still tracing the rest. Yaroch voluntarily contacted the DOJ and admitted making poor decisions involving cryptocurrency, the affidavit said. He later revoked consent to recover seed phrases and requested a lawyer.