Security News > 2023 > February > Bitcoin mining rig found stashed in school crawlspace

Pics A Massachusetts man accused of using his job as a city's assistant facilities director to hide a cryptocurrency mining operation in the crawlspace of a school has surrendered himself to authorities on Friday morning after skipping his Thursday arraignment.

A judge issued a default warrant for Nadeam Nahas' arrest yesterday on charges of fraudulent use of electricity and vandalizing a school, in relation with the cryptomining operation discovered under Cohasset Middle/High School in December, 2021.

The mining setup was discovered by Nahas' boss when conducting a routine inspection of the school two years ago, Cohasset Police Chief William Quigley told us.

The director "Noticed electrical wires, temporary duct work, and numerous computers that seemed out of place. After researching and contacting the town IT director, it was learned that this was a cryptocurrency mining operation which was unlawfully attached to the school electrical system," Quigley said.

After three months of investigation, and Nahas himself allegedly checking out the machines and denying he knew what they were, Cohasset detectives found probable cause to charge him of the aforementioned crimes.

Bitcoin mining requires a lot of power and a recent claimed it uses as much electricity as nation states like The Philippines.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/02/24/cryptocurrency_mining_school/