Despite the fact that the price of bitcoin and other digital assets are just trying to recover from the winter of 2018, the crypto fever remains as hot as ever. Now, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have charged a 33-year-old Sydney man for illegally mining cryptos with the federal government agency’s computers, reports local news source, ITNews on May 21, 2019.
Crypto Miner Nabbed
Per sources close to the matter, a 33-year-old Sydney resident has arraigned by the Australian Federal Police for using the computer systems of a federal government agency to mine blockchain-based digitals assets while working as an IT contractor.
Specifically, the AFP has alleged that the accused took advantage of his position as an IT personnel at the agency to manipulate the computers and use them for illegal crypto mining operations that generated more than $9000 in profits.
Commenting on the matter, cybercrime operations manager, acting commander Chris Goldsmid reiterated that the abuse of public office, especially for self-enrichment, is a serious offense and as such perpetrators of such a crime must be severely punished.
Goldsmid said:
“Australian taxpayers put their trust in public officials to perform crucial roles for our community with the highest level of integrity. Any alleged criminal conduct which betrays this trust for personal gain will be investigated and prosecuted.”
10 Years Imprisonment
Law enforcement agents searched the accused man’s Killara property in Sydney’s monied Upper North Shore earlier in March this year, seizing his laptop, smartphone, data files, and employee ID cards.
Reportedly, the accused person who has been charged with unauthorized modification of data to “cause impairment and unauthorized modification of restricted data” is set to face Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court and if found guilty as charged, he could face up to 10 years behind bars.
It’s worth noting that this is not the first time that government workers are carrying illegal crypto mining operations with the agency’s computers.
As reported by BTCManager in March 2018, employees at the Australian Bureau of Meteorology used the organization’s systems for mining bitcoin.
A similar event also took place in February 2018, when the Russian police arrested some nuclear scientists for trying to mine cryptos with supercomputers at the nation’s Federal Nuclear Center.
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