Arrested suspect denies that DEA-seized Bitcoins are his
The defense attorney for a South Carolina man facing drug charges is now denying that his client is the Casey Jones who had bitcoins seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) three months ago.
In April 2013, the DEA seized 11.02 bitcoins, worth $825 at present exchange rates. The agency then posted the details of the seizure in its Official Notification (PDF, updated), including the name of the suspect, “Eric Daniel Hughes AKA Casey Jones.” On June 6, 2013, a South Carolina man named Eric Daniel Hughes was arrested and charged by the state with illegal distribution of marijuana, clonazepam, and other controlled substances. He has yet to be served with federal charges.
A DEA spokesperson, Barbara Carreno, confirmed to Ars on Tuesday that this is the first time the drug agency has seized bitcoins. But Hughes' attorney, David Aylor, says the bitcoins aren't his client's. “[My client] doesn’t use and has never used the name Casey Jones,” Aylor told Ars on Tuesday.
