A New York IT supervisor is facing a possible sentence of up to 15 years in jail for mining bitcoin in the office. The man, identified as Christopher Naples, allegedly had hidden 46 mining rigs in the offices of the Suffolk County Center in Riverhead, New York. According to the investigation, 10 of these rigs had been installed since February, consuming more than $6,000 worth of energy. But given there were 36 more machines, the total energy cost could be far greater.

NY Man Gets Jail Time for Mining in the Office

Christopher Naples, an IT technician for Suffolk County in New York, could spend up to 15 years in jail for mining bitcoin in his offices. According to reports, the man introduced 46 mining machines into the offices of the county, hiding these underneath floorboards. Now, Naples faces charges of grand larceny and computer trespass as well as public corruption.

Prosecutors state the machines spent at least $6,000 worth of power, with the temperature of the rooms where the miners were installed rising 20 degrees, affecting the surrounding server rooms and offices. Timothy D. Sini (the Suffolk County District Attorney) stated that this was the result.

Not only are we spending thousands of dollars on this operation from taxpayers, but it also puts the county’s infrastructure in danger.

County employees also complained about poor AC performance and slow internet. These were resources that were shared by the mining machines in the office.

Stealing power is nothing new

This is not the first time that an employee of a public office has stolen power to mine cryptocurrencies. Similar cases have occurred in many other places. New York City’s Department of Education has cases dating from 2013 and 2014 where employees tried to mine bitcoin with company equipment.

A Federal Reserve employee tried to mine cryptocurrency using one of its servers. That employee, Nicholas Berthaume, was fined $5,000 and spent 12 months on probation. In a press meeting, Sini stressed:

We will not allow county employees to steal taxpayer money or illegally use government resources for personal gain.

Suffolk County Clerk Judith A. Pascale stated that no records of the country had been accessed or altered by the mining activity.

What do you think about Naples stealing power to mine bitcoin in public offices? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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