Aide to UKIP’s Nigel Farage Arrested for Demanding Bitcoin in Blackmail

Aide to former UKIP leader Nigel Farage, George Cottrell was arrested by FBI for demanding Bitcoin in blackmail from undercover agents. Read more…
George Cottrell, a top aide to British politician and former UKIP leader Nigel Farage has been charged with money laundering, extortion, and another 19 charges. The reports of his arrest by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on July 22, 2016, has emerged yesterday.
According to available information, George Cottrell was targeted in an undercover sting operation by the US law enforcement agents back in 2014. During the operation, he had allegedly agreed to launder money for the agents who were posing as drug traffickers. The federal indictment issued by the Arizona Court states that Cottrell first came into contact with the agents online under the alias Bill and later met them in Las Vegas. He is also said to have made arrangements for them to transfer $20,000 in supposed drug proceeds to an offshore account belonging to an associate.

This post was published at NewsBTC on August 14th, 2016.