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Silk Road investigators accused of stealing Bitcoins

By Danielle Haynes

SAN FRANCISCO, March 30 (UPI) -- Two former federal law enforcement officials involved in the investigation into online drug website Silk Road were charged with money laundering and fraud.

Carl Mark Force IV, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent, and Shaun Bridges, who previously worked for the Secret Service, were both arrested for allegedly stealing Bitcoins, digital currency used in transactions on the Silk Road website.

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Both men investigated the black market online drug website as members of a Balitmore task force.

Force, 46, faces additional charges of theft of government property and conflict of interest according to a criminal complaint filed in San Francisco.

The complaint says Force obtained the Bitcoins while working undercover, but rather than turn them over to the government, he "deposited them into his own personal accounts."

Force worked for the DEA for 15 years when he resigned in May after learning he was the subject of an investigation. Bridges, a six-year veteran of the Secret Service, resigned March 18 when he also learned of the investigation.

Force was arrested Friday in Baltimore and Bridges, 32, surrendered to authorities. Both were scheduled to appear in court Monday.

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Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, was convicted in February of drug trafficking, money laundering and a number of other crimes related to the website.

Silk Road brought together buyers and sellers of drugs, with anonymous transactions paid in bitcoin.

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