• A former school assistant facilities director in Cohasset, Massachusetts, has been accused of operating a cryptocurrency mining operation inside a crawlspace at Cohasset High School.
• The Cohasset Police Department alleges that Nadeam Nahas stole nearly $18,000 in electricity to power the crypto mining scheme.
• Nahas is facing charges of school vandalism and fraudulent use of electrical resources.
Former Cohasset High School Employee Accused of Stealing Electricity
A former school assistant facilities director in Cohasset, Massachusetts, has been accused of stealing thousands in electricity to mine Bitcoin on the school campus crawlspace. The Cohasset Police Department alleges that Nadeam Nahas was responsible for the electricity theft to power the crypto mining scheme.
Crypto Mining Operation Discovered
The town’s IT director discovered the operation was a crypto mine when photographs taken by police showed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) mining rigs used for bitcoin mining. Investigators estimate that approximately $17,492 in electricity was stolen over eight months.
Charges Against Nahas
Nahas is facing charges of school vandalism and fraudulent use of electrical resources and is scheduled to appear in Quincy District Court for arraignment on Feb. 23rd 2023.
Similar Cases Around The World
Nahas is one of many individuals accused of stealing electricity to power cryptocurrency mining operations over the years. For example, Malaysia seized 1,720 bitcoin mining machines during an electricity theft crackdown last year, arresting more than 600 people for stealing power to mine cryptocurrency over two years. In 2020, a kennel owner in China was arrested for stealing power to run a bitcoin mining farm and two brothers were arrested in 2016 for stealing electricity from Rotterdam, Netherlands to mine bitcoin and grow cannabis plants.
Conclusion
It remains unclear if Nahas will be found guilty or not but he is clearly not alone when it comes to people suspected or convicted of illegally using energy sources for their own means. Cryptocurrency miners should always be mindful about where they get their energy from as it could lead them into serious legal trouble if they are caught breaking any laws related to energy consumption and usage.