A former FBI agent has admitted stealing about $2.47 million in cryptocurrency through credentials collected in the bureau's investigations, while prosecutors say he turned to ChatGPT to help plan a new life in Portugal.

Patrick Steven Yaroch, 37, of Ashburn, Virginia, pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering in federal court in Alexandria on November 5. His sentencing is scheduled for March 4, 2027, and he faces up to 20 years in prison.

The Justice Department's announcement describes approximately 100 fraudulent transfers tied to credentials from 35 separate FBI investigations. The wallets included accounts controlled by investigative subjects and adversarial nation-state actors, as well as at least one wallet created by the FBI for an operation.

He used access that came with the job

Yaroch worked in the FBI's Boston Division from 2017 through early 2025, on a squad investigating an adversarial nation state. From February 2025 until July 31, 2026, he worked in the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, where he could access systems containing cryptocurrency credentials gathered by investigators.

The thefts began no later than December 2024, before that move to the counterintelligence division. After transferring stolen funds, he exchanged them for other cryptocurrencies and moved them through further transactions to conceal their origin and ownership, according to prosecutors.

Some of the proceeds went toward ordinary debts. Between November 25, 2025, and January 13, 2026, he transferred approximately $93,082 to one account, then shifted money between accounts used to pay credit cards, car payments and other loans.

ChatGPT entered the Portugal plan

The original FBI affidavit, filed on August 1, records questions found on Yaroch's phone. On May 28, he asked ChatGPT how to invest or spend a million dollars to maximize his return.

On June 4, his question turned to moving overseas:

If you had a bucket of money (around $1 million) and you wanted to leave the USA and become a resident or citizen of an EU country, what would you do?

The chatbot's response favored Portugal and discussed his interest in a vineyard or agricultural lifestyle. Prosecutors say Yaroch then took practical steps toward establishing himself there.

On June 15, he gave Portuguese lawyers power of attorney to register him with the country's Tax and Customs Authority, obtain a tax identification number and collect the password for his finance portal.

The travel arrangements were specific. The affidavit lists a September 3 departure from Washington, with connections through Lisbon to Porto. His wife and child were also on the itinerary, which included a September 11 return to Washington. These were booked travel plans; the filing does not describe a completed escape to Portugal.

His first account understated the scale

The case began with Yaroch telling a former colleague about the thefts. According to the affidavit, he became distressed during a July 29 meeting and admitted making poor decisions involving cryptocurrency wallets. The colleague advised him to get a lawyer and report himself immediately.

Yaroch then contacted FBI headquarters and submitted a security self-report. At that stage, he described roughly 10-12 transfers involving less than $1 million. The guilty plea covers a much larger scheme, with proceeds approaching $2.5 million.

Agents searching his home on July 31 seized electronic devices, a Trezor hardware wallet, three passports, the Portuguese power-of-attorney documents and a paper containing presumed cryptocurrency seed phrases. The FBI terminated his employment that day.

The damage extended beyond the missing money. The Justice Department said the agreed statement of facts established that his conduct compromised investigations involving criminal groups and nation-state adversaries.

The department also stated:

Yaroch’s actions also compromised FBI sources and methods used in foreign intelligence collection and criminal investigations.