U.S. authorities have arrested a Tennessee resident suspected of organizing the murder-for-hire of his wife. The FBI learned of the planned crime from the BBC, according to court records.
According to British media, the unidentified client at that time provided the would-be killer with the make of the car, as well as the date and time when the woman would take her pet to the veterinarian. Payment was made in bitcoin.
The FBI sent the information to the Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Police officials met with the woman and her husband to warn them of the threat.
“The FBI Headquarters provided blockchain analysis of the transaction and was able to determine that Coinbase wallets were used for the payment,” the document says.
The cryptocurrency exchange, at the authorities’ request, provided not only the transaction history but also the name of the wallet owner — who turned out to be the husband of the alleged victim. He used a home computer and personal bank accounts to purchase the initial cryptocurrency.
On April 21, 2021, the man was arrested. He faces up to 10 years in prison. The identity of the killer is not yet known.
Earlier authorities charged a Nevada woman with a murder-for-hire. The woman paid 12 BTC to the site’s administrators, who turned out to be scammers.
In the second half of 2020 Coinbase received 2313 government requests for information, most of which related to criminal investigations.