A man has been arrested and is facing charges in a small town outside Boston after local authorities discovered an “illegal cryptocurrency mining operation.” under a school floor,
In form of BBC reportsThe accused—39-year-old Nadeem Nahas—was previously the assistant facilities director in the small town of Cohasset, which about 10 miles outside of boston, In December 2021, a “routine inspection” of the school revealed some suspicious changes.
Cohasset Police Chief William Quigley told the BBC that, according to his director of facilities for Cohasset High School, “during a routine inspection of the school he noticed electrical wiring, temporary ductwork and several computers that seemed out of place “.
Ducts and wiring all led to the same location, “near the school’s boiler room”, and a check under the floor revealed “a cryptocurrency mining operation that was illegally plugged into the school’s electrical system”. was detected.
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As you can see in the image above, provided by local police, while it was not a warehouse-sized operation – a total of 11 computers were discovered, including some “inside ‘coolers’ that were outside”. used to walk out” – it was still a large amount of hardware found hidden under the floor of the school. And it was drawing more than enough power to leave a mark.
Officials say the mining setup operated from April to December 2021, and estimated electricity bills for the school at around $17,500. Nahas, who pleaded not guilty in a court appearance last week, resigned from his job as director of ancillary facilities shortly after discovering the operation. He was arrested last year after a months-long investigation that involved not only local police, but also the US Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security.
Boston Globe Says Nahas’ specific charges are vandalizing a school and fraudulent use of electricity, and he has been “ordered to stay away from all public buildings in Cohasset”.