North Texas Woman Accused of Stealing $570,000 Worth of Bitcoin

A North Texas woman has been charged with stealing $570,000 in Bitcoin after allegedly stealing passwords to access the cryptocurrency from a Dallas home.

Texas Woman Arrested for Stealing $570K Worth in Bitcoin

On September 6, Joann Vasquez, a 38-year-old woman from North Texas, was booked into the Dallas County Jail and charged with the theft of over $500,000 worth of Bitcoin.

According to court documents obtained by NBC 5, on January 25, 2021, Dallas Police were called to a home in the 3800 block of Gaspar Drive in Dallas after the person homesitting discovered a shattered window and evident signs of a burglary.

According to the investigators, security camera footage showed a man entering the backyard at about noon the day before and leaving half an hour later with a Roomba, a gun, and an athletic bag that appeared to conceal a safe within.

The missing safe, according to the homeowner, held Bitcoin account information and passwords that had lately been used to access accounts and transfer $570,000 in Bitcoin.

Michael Jason Neria, identified as the intruder, was apprehended on March 3, 2021, at the Winstar Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma, on outstanding burglary warrants from Frisco, Irving, and Dallas. According to the police, Neria was accused of taking part in roughly two dozen burglaries with the assistance of other known suspects.

$9,400 of Stolen Crypto Withdrawn from Bitcoin ATMs

According to the police, Neria surrendered his rights and disclosed information about the burglaries, including the one at the Gaspar Drive residence. Neira told officers that Vasquez, who was aware that the info came from a burglary, was in possession of the majority of the Bitcoin funds and had access to the account and passwords. Furthermore, the arresting document indicates that Vasquez was spotted on CCTV using her Texas driver’s license to withdraw funds from a Bitcoin ATM following the burglary.

Vasquez allegedly withdrew about $9,400 from Bitcoin ATMs in four consecutive visits between January 25 and February 1, 2021, according to investigators.

According to Dallas Police, while in detention, Neria called Vasquez and requested money from the Bitcoin accounts to his own. Sure enough, Neria’s account received the funds shortly after. While the police were able to recover $100,000 from Neria, an additional $470,000 remains unaccounted for, and Vasquez is suspected of having access to the accounts that manage the remaining funds.