Drudge Retort: The Other Side of the News
Monday, August 03, 2026

Ex-FBI SA Patrick Steven Yaroch was arrested and charged with stealing approximately $1 million belonging to foreign adversaries, using sensitive intelligence he accessed through bureau systems. Stationed in Ashburn, VA, this former FBI counterintelligence agent allegedly executed 10 to 12 transactions beginning in late 2024 to move digital assets from foreign adversarial wallets into his own accounts. His scheme unraveled when he confessed to a colleague during a "crisis of conscience" on 28 July 2026.

Imagine throwing away a prestigious career and robust pension?

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An arrest or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

#1 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-03 03:48 PM | Reply

ACAB

#2 | Posted by qcp at 2026-08-03 04:01 PM | Reply

White collar ACAB.

The fish rots from the head down.

#3 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-03 04:31 PM | Reply | Newsworthy 2

"Crisis of conscience."

More like a moment, and he wasn't sure what to do with it.

#4 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-05 03:53 PM | Reply

#4

Before I went into the US Army last century, I interviewed for some federal agencies to become an investigator.

After a physical and medical, I made it to a final panel of three senior Special Agents of this organization which I won't name.

One of the SAs asked me the following:

"If you made an arrest and noticed your partner was secretly putting cash bundles in his pocket, what would you do?"

Now all three pairs of eyes lasered in on me like famished hawks.

"Ahem. After returning to the field office I would say: 'Ya know, I counted $135,000 in recovered cash. Now we barely have a hundred grand here. Strange. When I type up my portion of the report tomorrow, that is what it will say. Hey, good job today, Mike. See 'ya tomorrow.'"

The panel of senior SAs seemed to like my answer but I wasn't hired by that particular agency anyway.

#5 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-05 04:24 PM | Reply

This doesn't say much about our ability to detect and monitor such transactions.

Capital One was able to detect and shut down Trump's money laundering schemes.

Cash is trash in comparison to undetectable undeclared digital assets.

Makes one wonder how many of these transactions with "digital assets" are going undetected. But I probably don't really want to know how F-ed we really are.

#6 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-05 05:00 PM | Reply

#6

The three federal agencies remaining that can investigate (and therefore jeopardize the Trumpf Crime Family) are the USSS (which won't, thanks to Scott Pisspants), the US Postal Inspectors which has writ over 200 federal statutes including money laundering, and the US Marshal Service (USMS) which enforces all US laws.

None of these agencies will do anything to the TCF.

US Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently asked the DODIG to investigate the TCF and their massive and shady DOD contracts, but we'll what the IG does.

#7 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-05 05:12 PM | Reply

6. Donnerboy: "Cash is trash in comparison to undetectable undeclared digital assets."

These questions come from a stance of complete ignorance about digital assets.

Are digital assets often, ever, rarely turned into hard currency that people use in the aboveground economy?

Is there enough purely digital activity that one can buy with digital assets what might be considered essentials of life, whatever that means to whoever hears it?

Thanks.

#8 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-06 01:46 PM | Reply

Just to reiterate the above. I don't even know if I'm asking trigger questions for crypto defenders. 100 percent clueless.

Our older son claims to have crypto in their portfolio on which he's made all these paper gains. In my mind: "MFer, trade that crap in and finish fixing your bathroom."

#9 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-06 01:51 PM | Reply

" Our older son claims to have crypto in their portfolio on which he's made all these paper gains."

For several years now, I've been required as a tax preparer to ask clients if they've bought or sold electronic currency in the year. That's the only question; there's no follow up on the 1040.

But I always follow up, with the same question: are you up or down? Every single client of mine has answered "down", with one exception, who quickly followed with, " ... but I got out of it a long time ago".

I liken it to playing online poker with five other people ...who are all in the same room somewhere comparing hands.

When my 19 year-old grand-nephew, curious about Bitcoin, asked me what the company manufactured, I replied "bigger fools".

#10 | Posted by Danforth at 2026-08-06 01:59 PM | Reply

Are digital assets often, ever, rarely turned into hard currency that people use in the aboveground economy?

I would have just said YES.

BUT my AI says more:

Yes, digital assets like Bitcoin and stablecoins are regularly and frequently converted into hard currency and used in the aboveground economy. People convert these assets daily through regulated exchanges, crypto debit cards, and business payment processors to buy real-world goods and services.

Is there enough purely digital activity that one can buy with digital assets what might be considered essentials of life, whatever that means to whoever hears it?

Again YES.

BUT AI says MUCH more:

AI Overview

Yes, you can buy many life essentials online using digital assets like cryptocurrency. You can pay for groceries, housing rent, utility bills, healthcare items, and internet service through specialized online platforms, crypto-friendly debit cards, and peer-to-peer merchant networks.

Groceries and Food:

Buy gift cards for major supermarkets with crypto.Use crypto debit cards to pay at regular grocery stores.Order meals online from participating restaurants using crypto gateways.

Housing and Utilities:

Pay rent to select property managers who accept crypto.Use digital bill-pay services to cover electricity and water.Buy home goods online from tech and retail stores that accept coin payments.

Health and Personal Care:

Buy medicine and health items from online pharmacies.Pay for telehealth visits using supported digital tokens.Order personal care products from web stores that take crypto.

Internet and Communication:

Pay your monthly mobile phone service bills.Buy home internet plans through select providers.Purchase software and digital tools needed for work.

Would you like to know which specific crypto debit cards work best in your area, or do you want a list of stores that take crypto directly?

#11 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-08-06 02:02 PM | Reply

To further help Americans, in addition to ammunition vending machines appearing at stores, these delightful BitCoin ATM devices are sprouting up in the Republic. Have credit card handy, please.

#12 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-08-06 02:31 PM | Reply

Donner: Yeah, I guess I could have looked it up. Sorry to make you do so. I'd just rather hear it from people.

#13 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-06 02:41 PM | Reply

We have an old-school landlord. The original contract said, "Leave check in shed by first of the month."

#14 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-08-06 02:42 PM | Reply

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