Horror, This Doctor Uses Bitcoin To Rent Paid Killers In Darkweb

JAKARTA - A medical doctor in Georgia has admitted to using $16,000 worth of Bitcoin in Darkweb to attempted murder of his girlfriend. This was revealed by the Office of the US Attorney General's Office, North District of Georgia.

Dr. James Wan, 54, admitted his guilt in Atlanta federal court on October 17 on charges of using an inter-state trading facility in committing a paid murder.

The US Prosecutor's Office, Ryan K. Buchanan, revealed that Dr. Wan tried to hide his plans using Darkweb, but thanks to information from a secret informant who oversees Darkweb, his plans were thwarted before injuring his girlfriend.

The FBI obtained information about the murder plot from a classified informant observing activity on Darkweb. The identity of the informant and location of the dark web remains kept secret by the court to maintain the sustainability of the investigation.

The targeted girlfriend, whose name was not disclosed in court documents, was placed under FBI protection after the plan was discovered, to ensure his safety.

Dr. Wan previously worked at the American Vena Clinic in Lawrenceville, but he was fired after his arrest in May 2022, and state records show that his medical license is now invalid.

Use Of Bitcoin In Assassination Attempts In Darkweb

Dr. Wan used Bitcoin worth about $16,000 in his plans. On April 18, 2022, he accessed Darkweb's market via his cell phone to order a hitman. He provided very detailed details, including name, address, Facebook account, number plate, and description of his girlfriend's car to a hitman.

The request he sent stated, "Get a wallet, cell phone, and a car. Shoot and leave. Or take the car."

To facilitate his dangerous plans, Dr. Wan transferred about 8,000 US dollars (Rp126 million) in Bitcoin as an initial down payment to a hitman. However, he made a mistake by entering the wrong Bitcoin address, thus losing his money. After the error, he sent an additional fee of around 8,000 US dollars to complete his order.

During this process, Dr. Wan even asked about the timing of the work and sought the latest information on the dark web forum. However, the plan failed thanks to a detrimental Bitcoin transaction error.

Investigated By FBI

The case is currently being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Dr. Wan's sentence is scheduled for January 18, 2024 before US District Court Judge Leigh Martin May.

Unfortunately, cases of using Bitcoin for criminal activities, including attempted leasing of hitmen, are not uncommon. This is one example of how crypto technology can be misused in criminal acts.