On September 14, 2012, Secret Service agents seized the computer equipment of Michael Brown, who was later proven to have blackmailed Governor Mitt Romney, demanding the equivalent of $1 million in bitcoin in exchange for not disclosing allegedly hidden income by the official.
This seizure became the first case of issuing a warrant not only to prove the defendant's guilt but also to check the computer equipment for the presence of bitcoin, which would serve as evidence of payment to conceal unlawful activity.