Two Dutch Brothers Facing Charges for Bitcoin Mining with Stolen Power

Two brothers from the Netherlands are facing prison time for using stolen power to run a bitcoin mining operation. Prosecutors in the Netherlands say the computers were used to mind an estimated 200,00 Euros worth of bitcoin.

“Powerful computers were used to mine the electronic currency. They were found in a building in the port city of Rotterdam that belonged to one of the brothers, and was also used as a cannabis grow house,” Prosecutors said in a statement.

Both the equipment and the bitcoin mining computers were being powered by an illegal tap into electricity. All this was discovered in early 2014. The brother’s identities have not yet been released. They are both facing money-laundering charges as well.

Prosecutors asked the judges to impose a 15-month sentence on one half of the criminal brother outfit, and only five months on the other half. This is because one brother is also facing criminal charges relating to the grow house.

The two are not yet scheduled for another court date, and both are being held separately from each other.

It would seem that the U.S. isn’t the only one’s battling bitcoin and money laundering related crimes. The rise of crypto-currencies is sure to bring on more and more of these bitcoin and crypto-currency offences.

Reports suspect that if and when bitcoin and crypto-currencies are regulated, the related crimes will not stop. The only thing to change, will be the addition of federally related charges, in addition to normal charges one would face in a case such as this.

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