3.4B in stolen Bitcoin inside Cheetos container (opens in new tab)

(businessinsider.com)

17 pointsmeifun3y ago17 comments

17 comments

How is that stealing exactly ? Looks more like state agents "stealing" again by using their legal powers

This, I almost did a spittake when I saw the Silk Road mentioned. Just salty that 50k wasn’t in the pile they got out of the ordeal to begin with.

imtringued3y ago

Now I understand why money laundering regulations are so painful. I didn't expect money laundering to be publicly endorsed on HN but here we are. At least it's reassuring to not have to speculate on moral decay.

You are aware that criminal enforcement is a game of chance where you can never be sure what fish you're catching next? There is no such thing as "being salty" that would make the process any easier. When a criminal fails to cover his he gets found, it is that simple.

Our_Benefactors3y ago

I don't know how you got an endorsement of money laundering out of my post. I was amused by the snafu, nothing more.

ratg133y ago

If you set up an online marketplace and thieves come in and siphon your money away.. they should get to keep it, because “finders keepers”?

ttoinou3y ago

Because you sent them the cryptos on a voluntary basis. If you made an error, you can nicely ask them back, but they can nicely refuse. There is no notion of property, who owns the keys owns the management of the coins

3 more replies

ngetchell3y ago

Weren't the bitcoins generated from a crime? I'm not the biggest fan of civil forfeiture but this seems pretty a straightforward, lawful seizure.

mouzogu3y ago

2 interesting things for me:

> you can hide $3.4 billion in a cheetos can

> the feds tracked him down 11 years after the event

also interesting, but i would rather have known how they tracked him...

> A photo shared by the department shows that the crypto tin originally contained Cheetos-brand popcorn in both Flamin' Hot and Cheddar flavors.

kiney3y ago

I think they didn't really track him. I think he drew suspicion by being filthy rich without official source of income. But not sure how they got a warrant for his house

prirun3y ago

Tax evasion?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

17 comments

ttoinou3y ago

How is that stealing exactly ? Looks more like state agents "stealing" again by using their legal powers

Our_Benefactors3y ago

This, I almost did a spittake when I saw the Silk Road mentioned. Just salty that 50k wasn’t in the pile they got out of the ordeal to begin with.

imtringued3y ago

Our_Benefactors3y ago

I don't know how you got an endorsement of money laundering out of my post. I was amused by the snafu, nothing more.

ratg133y ago

If you set up an online marketplace and thieves come in and siphon your money away.. they should get to keep it, because “finders keepers”?

ttoinou3y ago

3 more replies

ngetchell3y ago

Weren't the bitcoins generated from a crime? I'm not the biggest fan of civil forfeiture but this seems pretty a straightforward, lawful seizure.

mouzogu3y ago

2 interesting things for me:

> you can hide $3.4 billion in a cheetos can

> the feds tracked him down 11 years after the event

also interesting, but i would rather have known how they tracked him...

> A photo shared by the department shows that the crypto tin originally contained Cheetos-brand popcorn in both Flamin' Hot and Cheddar flavors.

kiney3y ago

I think they didn't really track him. I think he drew suspicion by being filthy rich without official source of income. But not sure how they got a warrant for his house

prirun3y ago

Tax evasion?

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse