A former US federal agent who stole Bitcoins during the government's investigation of Silk Road has been jailed for more than six years. Carl Force, a former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, admitted charges of extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice. US District Judge Richard Seeborg called the scope of his actions "breathtaking" as he jailed him for 78 months at San Francisco federal court. Force used his court appearance to apologise for his actions, partially blaming mental health issues. He said: "I'm sorry, I lost it and I don't understand a lot of it." Silk Road was shut down in October 2013 after operating for more than two years as a black market exchange where you could buy drugs, weapons and hire hitmen. Silk Road's creator, Ross Ulbricht, was arrested at a public library after a lengthy investigation and sentenced to life in prison in May. A former Secret Service agent - Shaun Bridges - who was charged alongside Force in March, reached a plea deal earlier this year. The pair were part of a federal task force. Force contacted Ulbricht posing as a drug dealer known as 'Nob'. He convinced Ulbricht to pay him $50,000 in Bitcoins by pretending he had information on the investigation.
Carl Force, who was a member of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) taskforce that investigated the black market website 'Silk Road', has been jailed for over the last two years, after having admitted to charges of extortion, money laundering and obstruction of justice. Force persuaded the site's creator, Ross Ulbricht, to pay him $50,000 in Bitcoin by pretending he had information concerning the investigation into Ulbricht's activities. Members of the Bitcoin community will hope that this case brings to an end the negative headlines surrounding the digital currency's use in the illegal operation, which has served to cause substantial reputational damage to Bitcoin over six years.