Image

Image

“Mr. Bridges has now admitted that he brazenly stole $820,000 worth of digital currency while working as a U.S. Secret Service special agent, a move that completely violated the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Haag in a release issued by the U.S. Department of Justice. “We depend on those in federal law enforcement having the highest integrity and unshakeable honor, and Mr. Bridges has demonstrated that he utterly lacks those qualities. We appreciate the hard work of our federal partners that went into bringing Mr. Bridges to justice.”The release goes on to state that Bridges subsequently obstructed justice by, among other things, impeding the investigation's ability to fully utilize a cooperator's access to the dark web market. He also admitted to lying to federal investigators about his own fraudulent actions with regards to Silk Road and to encouraging another government employee to lie to investigators. An attorney for Ross Ulbricht, the mastermind behind Silk Road who was sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in the dark web market, said that the charges against Bridges "removes any question about the corruption that pervaded the investigation of Silk Road." Bridges is due back in court in December for sentencing.