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Former DEA Agent Pleads Guilty to Extortion, Money Laundering, and Obstruction
A former DEA agent, Carl M. Force, 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to extortion, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. The crimes were committed while he was working as an undercover agent investigating Silk Road, an online marketplace used to facilitate the purchase and sale of illegal drugs and other contraband.
Between 2012 and 2014, Force was assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force, a multi-agency group investigating illegal activity on the Silk Road. He was the lead undercover agent in communication with Ross Ulbricht, aka ‘Dread Pirate Roberts,’ who ran the Silk Road.
Force used his undercover status to offer to sell Ulbricht fake drivers’ licenses and ‘inside’ law enforcement information about the Silk Road investigation. He admitted to falsifying official reports and stealing funds, depositing the bitcoin into his own personal account and then converting them into cash.
According to the investigation, Force used his position to fraudulently obtain bitcoin worth over $700,000 from the government and investigative targets alike. He used his position to deceive and manipulate others for his personal gain.
The sentencing hearing for Carl M. Force is scheduled for October 19, 2015.
Force was a Special Agent with the DEA for 15 years. His actions put at risk other important investigations and betrayed the trust placed in him by his law enforcement partners and the public.
The case was investigated by the IRS-CI, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General.
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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