WASHINGTON D.C. – The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the dramatic arrest of a former Olympic medalist, identified as Blake ‘The Bolt’ Harrison, 34, on charges of operating an extensive international cocaine distribution network funded and concealed through cryptocurrency.
Harrison, who represented the United States in the 2012 London Games for track and field, was apprehended Tuesday morning at his luxury Miami residence following an 18-month investigation conducted jointly with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
According to the indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Florida, Harrison allegedly leveraged the anonymity of digital currencies, specifically Bitcoin and Monero, to manage and launder profits from the large-scale distribution of cocaine sold primarily on dark web markets. Prosecutors detail that Harrison served as the operational ringleader of the syndicate, which allegedly moved more than 500 kilograms of cocaine across North America and Europe over a three-year period.
The breakthrough in the case came when federal agents successfully traced a series of high-volume cryptocurrency transactions linked to drug payments back to wallets controlled by Harrison. These wallets reportedly contained the equivalent of $32 million in laundered funds. Harrison faces multiple felony charges, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering. If convicted, he faces decades in federal prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next week.
Source: FBI arrests ex-Olympian accused of running crypto-enabled cocaine empire
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