DEA Agent Sentenced for Extortion, Money Laundering and Obstruction in Silk Road Investigation

US Department of Justice ^ | October 13, 2015 | US Department of Justice

[ExyZ]

A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice, which crimes he committed while working as an undercover agent investigating Silk Road, an online marketplace used to facilitate the sale and purchase of illegal drugs and other contraband.

[ExyZ]

In connection with his guilty plea, Force also admitted that, although he did not receive permission from the DEA to do so, he served as the chief compliance officer for CoinMKT, a digital currency exchange company. In this role, in February 2014, Force was alerted by CoinMKT to what the company initially believed to be suspicious activity in a particular account. Force admitted that, thereafter, in his capacity as a DEA agent, but without authority or a legal basis to do so, he directed CoinMKT to freeze $337,000 in cash and digital currency from the account. Force further admitted that he subsequently transferred approximately $300,000 of the digital currency into a personal account that he controlled.

[libertylover]

How would you say this compares to Eric Holder and Barack Obama selling M-16s to Mexican drug lords?

[nicepaco]

I never heard of the case but assumed just by the title that he was a whistle blower if DOJ bothered to prosecute him. I guess it's possible he's just a normal criminal with no political juice and they wanted to seize the funds for the Christmas party account.

[ExyZ]

I’d say that law enforcement should enforce the law.
Apparently that is too much to as these days.

What’s the point in weighing the difference?

[ExyZ]

Or a margarita machine.

[i_robot73]

Start @ the biggest levels first, then work your way down.

Currently, the Banana Republic ‘justice’ only goes a few levels up from serf...