An information technology operations supervisor at the Suffolk County clerk’s office in New York allegedly harnessed his position to place crypto mining equipment in various spots at the Riverhead Centre in the New York County in which he worked.
He set up 46 devices for crypto mining, “in locations like an unused electrical wall panel or underneath floorboards,” according to a statement on Wednesday.
Crypto mining can be an expensive undertaking, sometimes requiring specific equipment for the task as well as hiking up electrical costs wherever the mining apparatuses are set up. Mining equipment can also give off notable amounts of heat, adding to the equation.
According to a quote in the statement from the district attorney in Suffolk County:
“Mining cryptocurrency requires an enormous amount of resources, and miners have to navigate how to cover all of those electricity and cooling costs’’
The accused faces a number of legal claims, such as grand larceny, and could receive a sentence of as long as 15 years jail time. The courts released Naples without requiring bail while he awaits further legal proceedings.
