Russian authorities have investigated a number of cases
involving the theft of crypto mining equipment in the past months. A
resident of Yaroslavl has just been found guilty of stealing mining
hardware worth over $20,000 and sentenced to three years in prison.
Russian Convicted of Stealing Mining Rigs Receives Prison Sentence
A 34-year-old man from the city of Yaroslavl, some 250 kilometers
northeast of Moscow, has been found responsible for the theft of
equipment for cryptocurrency mining. The hardware’s value has been
estimated at 1.6 million rubles (almost $22,000), Forklog reported
quoting an announcement by the regional prosecutor’s office.
Investigators were able to establish that in February of this year
the defendant managed to enter a friend’s garage where the devices were
deployed. He later tried to mint digital coins on his own but failed to
set up the equipment properly.
As the perpetrator admitted his guilt, the Zavolzhsky District Court
gave him a suspended sentence of three years with a three-year
probationary period. The stolen mining rigs have already been returned
to the owner.
In the past few years, cryptocurrency mining in basements, garages
and homes has grown in popularity in the Russian Federation as an
additional income source.
And as it involves the use of relatively expensive computer equipment,
crime involving the theft of mining hardware has increased as well.
Earlier in August, neighbors stole six rigs with 30 powerful video
cards from a room used by a crypto miner in Kursk. According to a report
by the local news portal Kurskie Izvestia, the equipment was valued at
over 4 million rubles (almost $55,000). The thieves face possible
imprisonment for up to seven years, the police said.
A number of similar cases have been reported in Irkutsk, Forklog
noted. In June, law enforcement officers detained a 21-year-old man
accused of stealing mining hardware worth 120,000 rubles (over $1,600).
He was arrested days after police busted
a group of several people responsible for the theft of around two dozen
mining rigs valued at 2 million rubles (approximately $27,000).
With many of Russia’s regions providing access to cheap electrical
energy and cool climate conditions, the country has around 6.84% of the
global hashrate, according to a recent report. Household electricity rates are also lower in comparison with the tariffs in many other countries which makes home crypto mining profitable.
surce link : https://news.bitcoin.com/mining-hardware-thief-gets-3-year-sentence-in-russia/
