CASE DOSSIER
sentenced
U.S. v. James Zhong (Silk Road 50,000 Bitcoin Theft)
Docket: 1:22-cr-00594 Court: U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Opened: 2022-11-04 Sector: Cryptocurrency, Darknet Markets
Key Facts
Status
SENTENCED
Legal disposition
Loss Amount
$3.4 billion
Largest cryptocurrency seizure in DOJ history at the time: 50,676 Bitcoins valued at $3.36 billion.
Techniques
1
Verified mappings
Defendants
1
Named in charges
- Legal Status: SENTENCED in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Primary Target Sector: Cryptocurrency, Darknet Markets.
- Documented Financial Loss: $3.4 billion.
- 1 verified MITRE ATT&CK techniques substantiated with verbatim court excerpts.
Export structured case data and MITRE ATT&CK Navigator layer:
Case Summary
Historic seizure of over 50,676 Bitcoins ($3.36 billion at seizure) hidden in an underground floor safe and popcorn tin, stolen by James Zhong from the Silk Road darknet market in 2012 by triggering race conditions in the withdrawal logic.
Procedural & Incident Timeline
2021-11-09 court_order
IRS Criminal Investigation and federal agents execute search warrant at Zhong's Gainesville residence, seizing 50,491 Bitcoins.
2022-11-04 plea
Zhong pleads guilty to wire fraud in Manhattan federal court.
2023-04-14 sentencing
Sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison.
Named Defendants & Operatives
| Defendant | Nationality | Status | Prison Term | Restitution | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Zhong | United States | sentenced | 12 mo | $3 | Stole 50,000 Bitcoin from Silk Road; sentenced to 12 months with historic $3.36B crypto forfeiture. |
Substantiated MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
| Technique ID | Technique Name & Tactic | Primary Source Evidence Excerpt | Locator | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1190 | Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access | "Zhong registered accounts and rapidly executed simultaneous withdrawal requests within fractions of a second, causing the automated withdrawal daemon to pay out double balances." | Information ¶ 8, Page 4 | reviewed |
Cite & Embed This Case Record
Public Domain / CC0 Bluebook Legal Citation:
Cyberattack Case Library, U.S. v. James Zhong (Silk Road 50,000 Bitcoin Theft), No. 1:22-cr-00594 (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York 2022), https://cyberattackcaselibrary.pages.dev/cases/us-v-zhong-silk-road-bitcoin-seizure/
Embeddable Incident Card (HTML):
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