SAN FRANCISCO—A federal judge on Monday sentenced a former Secret Service agent to nearly six years in prison following his conviction on charges related to the theft of electronic currency during a high-profile investigation into the online drug bazaar Silk Road.
Shaun Bridges’ attorneys had sought a three-year prison term, but U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg said Bridges’ behavior was a “shocking and reprehensible abandonment of his public duty.”
“This to me is an extremely serious crime consisting of the betrayal of public trust by a federal law enforcement agent,” Seeborg said before issuing the 71-month prison sentence. “And from everything I see, it was motivated entirely by greed.”
Bridges, who prosecutors said had previously spent time protecting the president’s family, pleaded guilty in August to money laundering and obstruction charges and acknowledged stealing $820,000 worth of bitcoin after getting access to Silk Road, the multimillion-dollar marketplace for illegal drugs and other contraband.
Bridges was part of a task force investigating Silk Road. Prosecutors said in court Monday that Bridges then tried to pin the theft on a witness who was cooperating with the investigation, prompting Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht to take out hits on the witness’ life.
