Anti-Corruption Agency Accuses Australian Cop of Stealing 81 Bitcoin
The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has lodged allegations against an Australian Cop for erasing the contents of a Trezor hardware wallet containing 81.62 Bitcoin at a crime scene. Authorities relied on crypto tracing software to claim that he transferred the Bitcoin into his possession.
As per a recent report, Australian law enforcement discovered the hardware wallet during a drug raid at a residence but delayed approximately three weeks to secure court permission to access it. However, upon accessing the wallet, there was no Bitcoin present, as federal agent William Wheatley purportedly moved it out shortly after the raid.
The hardware wallet supposedly held 81.62 Bitcoin, valued at $309,000 during the raid in 2019. However, its current value stands at approximately $4.2 million.
Detective Sergeant Deon Achtypis from the cybercrime squad indicated that initially, authorities suspected an associate linked to a criminal syndicate in the Bitcoin theft.
The suspicion arose as the police force also discovered a device containing the seed phrase to the hardware wallet—a sequence of 12 to 24 random words used for recovery in case of theft or loss.
Australian Cop Denies Involvement
However, following an extensive investigation into IP addresses associated with accessing the stolen Bitcoin using crypto tracing software, Achtypis purportedly uncovered a connection to Wheatley.
Law enforcement agencies worldwide are increasingly employing crypto-tracing software to combat illicit activity involving digital assets.
Meanwhile, Wheatley maintains his innocence against charges of leveraging his position as a public officer for personal gain, theft, and involvement with proceeds of crime.
He reportedly intends to contest the charges concerning the stolen Bitcoin from the Trezor wallet. This development coincides with Trezor’s acknowledgment of a security breach affecting nearly 66,000 users.