A Massachusetts man who allegedly placed a secret crypto mining operation inside the crawl space of a local school is soon to be arrested after skipping a court hearing at which he was to answer to the charges.
Nadeam Nahas was set to be arraigned on charges of vandalizing a public school and theft/fraudulent use of electrical energy, according to reports.
A default warrant has been issued for Nahas’ arrest. This is the type of warrant issued that is issued by the courts when an individual does not appear in court or fails to comply with a court order.
Nahas, who is reported to have previously been employed in the Cohasset, Massachusetts facilities department, is accused of stealing electricity valued at roughly $18,000 and using that electrical power his run his crypto mining operation between the dates of April 28th and December 14th, 2021.
Local authorities were initially told about the mining operation in December of 2021 after the city’s facilities director observed computer systems, ductwork, and electrical wiring that seemed to be out of place as they were located inside a crawl space close to the school’s boiler room.
In total, 11 computers were located, and Nahas was later identified as the primary suspect following an investigation. Nahas has since resigned from his position with the town.
This is not the first time that someone has faced charges of stealing power to use for mining. In July of 2021, officials in Malaysia demolished $1.2 million USD worth of mining rigs that had been confiscated from citizens who had been stealing electricity to power their miners.
One year prior, authorities in Bulgaria apprehended two men for stealing over $1.5 million USD worth of electricity to power two separate crypto mining farms.