Posted on 05/09/2024 1:48:55 PM PDT by DFG
A North Texas woman was sentenced to nine years in prison after using Bitcoin to pay for a murder.
Federal prosecutors said 58-year-old Michelle Murphy of Bedford used the dark web to find a hitman for her boyfriend’s lover.
"To my knowledge, it's the first time this has happened in Texas, but it's happened plenty of places all over the United States," said former U.S. attorney Richard Roper.
Investigators learned she used an ATM to convert cash to cryptocurrency at least three times and transferred about $10,500 to the hitman’s Bitcoin wallet.
The person who accepted the money tipped off the Department of Homeland Security.
"In August 2023, HSI received information from a source that an unknown suspect on the dark web sought to have intended victim […] murdered in exchange for money," reads the criminal complaint.
The dark web is part of the internet that cannot be reached through traditional search engines.
HSI's cyber crimes group went to work shining an investigative light in virtual dark places.
"They're able to pick up the trail of these criminals trying to solicit to murder somebody," said Roper.
Investigators were able to identify Murphy by following her digital footsteps.
Records reveal cryptocurrency ATMs were used three times by Murphy to convert cash to Bitcoin.
She then used that Bitcoin to murder a woman who was in a romantic relationship with her boyfriend, according to the complaint.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox4news.com ...
Most people don’t realize that Bitcoin transactions are traceable when you know the wallet number.
She was caught, no one was murdered.
She got nine years federal time.
Just shows how far this country has fallen when you can’t trust a hit man you hire on the dark web.
The whole point of blockchain is complete transparency.
Ooooh, that evil Bitcoin. I’m surprised it didn’t kill the girlfriend itself.
She sounds Doge...
So, is this simply incompetent reporting, or was there a murder?
Best BOL of the day!
Do not question Skynet.
Good thing she didn’t piss off “Climate Change”
Those methods DO NOT include going to a public ATM that that likely records every transaction via a camera.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.