Full Breakdown
Former NCA Officer Ordered to Repay £1.8 million for Stolen Seized Bitcoin
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The Theft and Legal Outcome
Paul Chowles, a former National Crime Agency (NCA) intelligence analyst, transferred 50 Bitcoin that had been seized from dark-web dealer Thomas White. The coins were moved from White’s “retirement wallet” to an address controlled by Chowles between May 6 and 7 2017. After a Merseyside Police investigation, 30 Bitcoin were recovered from Chowles. He pleaded guilty to theft, transferring criminal property and concealing criminal property, and was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court in July 2025 to five years and six months’ imprisonment. The Crown Prosecution Service secured a confiscation order for £1,810,678.93, the amount assessed as Chowles’ “available amount” to satisfy the order. Failure to pay could result in further custodial time.
Background: Silk Road 2.0 Investigation
Thomas White, a convicted administrator of the Silk Road 2.0 marketplace, was sentenced in 2019 for supplying illegal goods via the dark web. During the investigation, the NCA seized a USB stick containing 97 Bitcoin from White’s Liverpool apartment. Chowles was part of the nine-member digital forensics team that analysed the seized devices and extracted the cryptocurrency.
Timeline
| Date (as recorded) | Event |
|---|---|
| May 6-7 2017 | Chowles transferred 50 Bitcoin from White’s wallet to his own address. |
| 2022 (May) | Merseyside Police arrested Chowles after White, released on licence, flagged the missing coins. |
| July 2025 | Chowles was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison. |
| July 11 2025 | Chowles was dismissed from the NCA. |
| July 2025 (post-sentencing) | CPS obtained a confiscation order for £1,810,678.93. |
Data and Financial Figures
- Seized assets: 97 Bitcoin originally recovered from White.
- Stolen portion: 50 Bitcoin, valued at roughly £60,000 at the time of theft (2017).
- Recovered from Chowles: 30 Bitcoin.
- Value at sentencing: The 50 Bitcoin were later valued at more than £4.4 million, giving a total benefit attributed to Chowles of £1,970,759.27 (CPS calculation).
- Confiscation order: £1,810,678.93, reflecting Chowles’ assessed available assets.
Official Statements & Responses
Luke Clements, specialist prosecutor at the CPS Proceeds of Crime Division, said the case demonstrates the agency’s commitment to stripping offenders of illicit gains.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Paul Chowles exploited a position of trust for personal gain, stealing assets that had already been recovered through law enforcement action. REG AD” — CPS Proceeds
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the total monetary benefit attributed to Chowles. The CPS press release cites a benefit of £1,970,759.27, while the confiscation order amount is £1,810,678.93. Both figures appear in official documentation, but the relationship between the two (benefit versus available amount) is not fully explained in the available reports. Additionally, the current status of the remaining Bitcoin after the order—whether any further assets are still recoverable—remains unspecified.
Why It Matters
The case underscores vulnerabilities when law-enforcement personnel have privileged access to seized digital assets. It also illustrates how rapid appreciation in cryptocurrency values can dramatically increase the financial stakes of asset-recovery proceedings. The CPS’s use of confiscation orders reinforces a legal framework aimed at preventing criminals, including former officials, from profiting from crimes they helped investigate.