Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies say that a Newsweek reporter’s story exposing what the magazine claims is the founder of Bitcoin did quote them and the man featured in the article accurately, a spokesman said.

The San Gabriel Valley suburb of Temple City was inundated by reporters Thursday after Newsweek alleged resident Dorian Nakamoto was really “Satoshi Nakamoto,” the man behind the virtual currency. In the Newsweek article he is quoted as telling the reporter “I’m no longer involved in that and I cannot discuss it” while deputies are present.

But on Thursday he denied to the Los Angeles Times and the Associated Press that he was the founder and later told the Associated Press that the Newsweek reporter misunderstood him but did not dispute the quotes. Newsweek insists that he is the founder.

One deputy who called to the home after the reporter sought to question Dorian Nakamoto expressed shock that the founder of the currency would be living so modestly in Temple City.


Capt. Mike Parker said he has spoken to both deputies who responded to the suspicious persons call on Feb.20. He said “one of the two deputies had heard of bitcoins but only knew vaguely about them” prior to the call. He said the reporters’ statements and questions about Bitcoin prompted the conversation.

“Both sheriff’s deputies agreed that the quotes published in the March 6, 2014, Newsweek magazine Bitcoin article that were attributed to the resident and to one of the deputies were accurate.”

Parker said the caller to deputies had reported an unknown woman in her 20s was knocking on the door at his home and sitting on his porch for the past hour. The caller said he was afraid to open the door,” Parker said.

When deputies arrived, Parker said “the woman identified herself as Newsweek reporter Leah Goodman and the resident expressed reluctance to talk to her.”


“The deputies were present for the brief conversation between the two, and then the resident went back inside his home and the reporter left.”

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