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A Queensland mansion, a Mercedes-Benz, and almost 25 Bitcoin have been forfeited by an Australian man linked to a 2013 Bitcoin heist.
The luxury assets of a Queensland man previously convicted of being involved in cyber campaign against Riot Games’ League of Legends have been forfeited after being suspected of links to the 2013 theft of 950 Bitcoin from a French cryptocurrency exchange.
The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce began investigating Shane Stephen Duffy in 2018, after AUSTRAC received a tip-off from law enforcement authorities in Luxembourg. Duffy had been linked to the transactions, and while it is thought he was involved in the cyber-theft, no charges were ever laid.
Commonwealth proceeds of crime laws, however, allow for the seizure of suspected criminal proceeds without the need for a successful conviction.
Subsequently, in April 2025, the District Court of Queensland ordered that assets totalling more than $4.5 million be forfeited, including a waterfront home in Beachmere, Queensland, a 2019 black Mercedes-Benz sedan, and 24.99454224 Bitcoin.
The funds will go toward supporting law enforcement measures.
"The Proceeds of Crime Act provides law enforcement agencies with unique powers to restrain and forfeit instruments and proceeds of crime,” AFP Commander Jason Kennedy said in a May 18 statement.
“Criminals are driven by greed at the expense of honest Australians and businesses who are losing their hard-earned money to cyber criminals.
“The profits derived from criminal activities are also often used to fund further criminal acts, which is why the AFP works closely with our partners in the CACT to target the proceeds of crime and ensure they are re-invested in the community.”
In 2016, Duffy pleaded guilty to several charges related to a hacking campaign targeting Riot Games and its hit multiplayer title League of Legends. At the time Duffy had come into possession of the personal details of more than five million League of Legends players, which he sold access to.
Duffy also hacked into the Twitter account of Riot Games’ president to advertise his account selling business.
At the time, Duffy was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail but was granted immediate parole. He was also handed an 18-month suspended jail sentence and a two-and-a-half year good behaviour bond.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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