UK Jails Crypto Miner for 13 Months for Stealing Electricity: Report

The Crown Prosecution Service described the case as “highly unusual.”

AccessTimeIconOct 14, 2021 at 11:55 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 5:21 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

A crypto miner in the U.K. county of Leicestershire has been jailed for 13 months for stealing £32,000 ($44,000) of electricity to operate bitcoin mining machines.

  • Sanjay Singh, 40, pleaded guilty to bypassing electrical mains to power mining machines at two sites, local news outlet Leicester Mercury reported Thursday.
  • An inspection showed that Singh had manipulated the wiring to abstract electricity to an unmetered fuse box to run more than 200 devices.
  • Such a method is not an uncommon criminal activity, but is more frequently carried out to support criminal activities such as growing cannabis, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) noted.
  • “This is a highly unusual case,” Andrew Baxter of the CPS said. “Bitcoin mining is a legitimate legal enterprise.”

Disclosure

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

Jamie Crawley

Jamie Crawley is a CoinDesk news reporter based in London.


Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.


Read more about