He will probably go down in history as the biggest Bitcoin robber: James Zhong, as a student, hacked into the illegal Darknet marketplace Silk Road in 2012 and made a lot of money with it. The 32-year-old American from the state of Georgia took exactly 50,676 Bitcoin digital tokens and put them in a popcorn can.
Before the cryptocurrency’s current nosedive, the loot was worth a whopping $3.3 billion (about €3.3 billion), according to the indictment. Three years ago, however, Zhong himself put detectives on the trail of his theft. When his home was burglarized, the student filed a complaint saying that “a lot” of bitcoins had been stolen from him.
The federal police then took over the case and in the course of the investigation the victim soon became the target himself. With a search warrant in hand, agents turn Zhong’s house upside down. And they found what they were looking for: 50,676 bitcoin tokens were stashed away in a popcorn can!
Minicomputer tokens in popcorn can
These were in a safe under the floor in the bathroom, covered with blankets and hidden on a mini computer in a popcorn can. Nearly $700,000 in cash, silver and gold coins were also secured in the chambers, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Zhong eventually confessed to the coup and cooperated with authorities. He faces up to 20 years in prison.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
