A 38-year-old woman named Joann Vasquez from North Texas has been arrested and charged with the theft of over $570,000 worth of Bitcoin. The incident dates back to January 25, 2021, when Dallas Police responded to a burglary report at a residence on Gaspar Drive in Dallas. Investigators found evidence of forced entry and discovered that a safe containing Bitcoin account information and passwords had been stolen.

Security camera footage revealed a man, later identified as Michael Jason Neria, entering the backyard and leaving with stolen items, including the safe. Neria was apprehended in March 2021 on unrelated burglary warrants. During questioning, Neria disclosed details about the burglaries, implicating Vasquez as an accomplice who had access to the stolen Bitcoin funds.

According to police reports, Vasquez was observed on surveillance footage using her Texas driver’s license to withdraw approximately $9,400 in Bitcoin from ATMs shortly after the burglary. Neria, while in custody, contacted Vasquez and requested that she transfer funds from the stolen Bitcoin accounts to his own. Investigators managed to recover $100,000 from Neria, but the whereabouts of the remaining $470,000 are unknown, and Vasquez is believed to have access to those funds.