Prosecutors: Ex-federal agent to plead guilty to stealing digital money during Silk Road probe

Federal prosecutors say a former Secret Service agent will plead guilty to charges connected with the theft of electronic currency during the high-profile investigation into online drug bazaar Silk Road.

Shaun Bridges of Laurel, Maryland, was charged in March with stealing $820,000 worth of bitcoin after getting passwords to the multimillion-dollar marketplace for illegal drugs and other contraband.

Bridges was a computer forensic expert who helped arrest a Silk Road worker who controlled the website's passwords.

Prosecutors said in court papers filed Wednesday that Bridges has agreed to a deal to plead guilty later this year to money laundering and obstruction charges.

Separately, a former Drug Enforcement Administration agent is charged with extorting Silk Road operator Ross Ulbricht, who has been sentenced to life in prison.