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A roofer who admitted to stealing nearly £200,000 in cryptocurrency from his boss is facing jail. Ben Noden had been asked to help manage trades but instead slowly syphoned money, which he

used for gambling. Noden, from Shipston in Warwickshire, was asked by his employer, Peter Round, to help manage online cryptocurrency trades in January 2021. But a year later, Mr Round

discovered that the valuable portfolio he had built up over several years had disappeared. Noden, 37, pleaded guilty to theft by an employee and committing fraud by false representation when

he appeared at Redditch Justice Centre on Monday (January 13). He admitted to stealing a total of £198,387 before being bailed by Her Honour Judge Seanin Gilmore. READ MORE: COVENTRY PUB

BUILT IN 1800S SET TO REOPEN AND PROMISES TO BE 'EVERYTHING IT WAS BEFORE' Mr Round said Noden slowly began syphoning cash from his cryptocurrency, which he had built up as a

retirement fund. He had planned to double the value to £500,000 and asked Noden to help due to his 'up-to-date knowledge of computers.' But just 13 months after handing Noden the

reins to his sizeable portfolio, the money had vanished. Mr Round claimed Noden was transferring sums of up to £12,000 a day and gambling it away while continuing to take a weekly wage of

£400. Now, the 68-year-old says he will not be able to retire as he had planned. Mr Round, from Worcestershire, said: “He was syphoning it and gambling it. I employed him initially to come

into roofing for me, but as I got into crypto, I left him in the office to put money into crypto as he was computer savvy. “He stole every bit of it from me. It was over 13 months, he signed

my name to take all the stocks out. I was out roofing seven days a week to pay for that and paid him, all while he was taking money out.” Mr Round added: “He has dragged this out since

July, for three years this has happened. I am now 68, and I cannot retire. He took daily £9k, £10k, and £12k. “He basically sentenced me to hard labour for the rest of my life. I had to get

back to work. Apparently, he gambled it all on a crypto website. “A real rat. You try and get up at 67 years of age when you put everything in when he takes £400 off your hand.” SIGN UP FOR

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