According to Clearwater police, a 27-year-old man stole more than $ 575,000 in cryptocurrency from an elderly person while installing technology in a victim’s home.
According to the arrest affidavit, Aaron Daniel Motta of Pinellas Park faces a massive theft and felony of crime against computer users.
The report states that Motta was there to install a security system in the victim’s home and was able to access the victim’s computer. While there, Motta stole the Trezor hardware wallet. This allowed the user to save the cryptocurrency offline and found the password nearby.
According to police, Motta transferred cryptocurrencies worth $ 575,910.61 to multiple wallets he controlled at the time. Cryptocurrencies are a type of digital currency stored on the blockchain, a peer-to-peer network that acts as a secure ledger of transactions.
Motta’s Facebook page states that he is an IT manager, a former cybersecurity engineer, and an ethical hacker. According to the Facebook page, a phone call was made on Saturday at the phone number on his affidavit. This phone number is also posted online at the company where Motta works.
According to the affidavit, the victim is over 65 years old.
Motta was booked at Pinellas County Jail on Friday afternoon, but was released before 1 am on Saturday after paying $ 60,000 on bail.
