The Department of Justice (DOJ) is in the process of returning 3,879 bitcoins that were acquired using funds that were stolen from Sony Life Insurance Company Ltd in Tokyo, as highlighted in a new report on December 21, 2021.
Sony’s subsidiary allegedly attempted to move funds between its accounts in May 2021. In the process, one of the employees by the name Rei Ishii sent $154 million to a bank account he operated in California. He allegedly used the stolen money to acquire 3,879 bitcoins, currently valued at more than $187 million.
Currently, Ishii is facing criminal charges in Japan. All of the bitcoins that he purchased have been impounded by a joint investigation by the Japanese law enforcement, Citibank, FBI, and Sony. Based on the report, the FBI managed to get the private key to the wallet that has these bitcoins. The acting US attorney Randy Grossman said:
“It is our intent to return the stolen money to the victim of this audacious theft, and today’s action helps us do that.”
Crypto Crimes
The DOJ has since boosted its surveillance on the crypto industry, which has enabled them to bring in many cyber-criminals to book. Around two months ago, the Department of Justice unleashed charges against six men who supposedly used digital currencies to launder a lot of money for the drug cartels in Mexico.
Department of Justice has now pronounced charges against the founders and directors of AirBit Club that was linked with a crypto scam. After a 5-point plan by the United States government to fight terrorism, a new task force was created under the Justice Department to prosecute and detain people suspected of being involved in illegal activities using crypto.
