A Russian post office boss is now in jail for allegedly using wok computers to mine cryptocurrencies. According to the report published in Russian outlet RNS, the suspect used to serve as the head of the post office in Mineralnye Vody, a town in the southern part of the country. He had been processing digital currencies secretly using the post office’s resources since September 2019.
The suspect was using work computers to mine crypto.
The suspect’s name has been held back by the authorities as the crime is still being investigated. He had been processing digital currencies for the last six months, according to the Investigative Committee of Russia, the country’s main federal investigating authority. According to the investigation by the authorities, since September 2019, the suspect installed and illegally connected computer equipment for the extraction of cryptocurrency to the power network in the branch of JSC Russian Post. The investigators estimated that the illegal crypto mining cost the post office 30,000 rubles ($428). The unnamed suspect is charged with abuse of power, but the investigations are still ongoing.
Russian lawmakers seek to criminalize the use of crypto.
The Russian lawmakers are moving to criminalize the use of cryptocurrencies by proposing new legislation controlling the digital currencies. The Ministry of Economic Development in Russia has proposed several bills in the State Duma, including an updated draft for cryptocurrencies. The proposed laws primarily touch the administrative and criminal liability for violation of rules involved in the crypto transactions. Currently, there are no laws that regulate cryptocurrencies in the country. If passed, the new proposed bill would criminalize the use of cryptocurrencies in the country. The latest proposal by the Russian lawmakers clarified crypto as property and proposed a complete ban on their issuance and circulation within the country. Earlier, the central bank of Russia had said that they would support the
