Sony staffer stole $154m for Bitcoin
December 22, 2021
By Chris Forrester
The US Department of Justice says it has taken action to return more than $154 million allegedly stolen from a Sony-owned business by one of its employees. The stolen cash was converted into Bitcoin.
The employee worked for Sony Life Assurance in Tokyo and the cash was allegedly diverted from the company when Sony attempted to transfer the funds from inter-company accounts. The money was recovered on December 1st.
Rei Ishii is the accused and had a bank account at La Jolla in southern California. He converted the cash into 3879 Bitcoin, valued today at more than $180 million, according to a statement made within the civil forfeiture complaint against Ishii.
“All the Bitcoins traceable to the theft have been recovered and fully preserved. Ishii has been criminally charged in Japan,” the Justice Department said in a statement.
“It is our intent to return the stolen money to the victim of this audacious theft, and today’s action helps us do that,” acting US attorney Randy Grossman said.