Bitcoin Theft: UK NCA Officer Charged For Stealing 50 BTC

The UK Crown Persecution Service (CPS) has filed charges against a law enforcement agent for allegedly stealing 50 Bitcoin (BTC) in 2017. This development comes amidst continuous efforts by the UK Government to deliver a crypto legislative framework.

National Crime Agency Officer Faces Jail Time Over £60,000 Bitcoin Theft

In a recent news post, Head of the CPS Special Crimes Division Malcolm McHaffie announced an indictment against National Crime Agency (NCA) officer Paul Chowles for the alleged theft of crypto assets worth £60,000 ($75,000).  Chowles, a 42-year-old man from Bristol, is accused by Merseyside Police of misappropriating 50 Bitcoin during an active probe into online organized crime in 2017. Following the sporadic growth of the BTC market in recent years, the reported loot of 50 BTC is now valued at £3.2 million ($4.2 million).

According to a statement by McHaffie, the defendant now faces 15 counts of crime relating to this offence and is expected to appear at the Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on 25 April 2025. The CPS Division Chief said:

Mr.Chowles, 42, is due to be charged with 11 offences of concealing, disguising, or converting criminal property, three offences of acquiring, using or possessing converting criminal property and a single count of theft. The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against this defendant are now active and that he has the right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.

According to UK regulations, each count of money laundering i.e. concealing, disguising, or converting criminal property could result in a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. Similarly, a single charge of acquiring, using, or possessing criminal property also carries a potential 14-year sentence. However, a conviction for theft carries a maximum sentence of seven years. Therefore, If found guilty of the charges presented, Chowles could be looking at over 200 years in prison theoretically. Albeit, that is not unlikely as typical judicial rulings usually favor concurrent sentencing.

UK To Begin Consultation On Stablecoins

In other news, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is expected to release consultation papers on stablecoin regulations before Q1 2025 in line with its crypto policy roadmap released in 2024. This initiative is to gain valuable insights on stablecoin concepts such as redemption and asset backing as the HM Treasury moves to introduce new regulated activities for fixed digital assets. Amidst this exercise, the FCA will also release discussion papers on key concepts including lending, trading platforms, and staking as the UK continues to formulate its crypto regulatory framework which is planned for implementation in 2026. At the time of writing, Bitcoin was trading at $84,391 following a 4.30% gain in the past day.