Zhenjiang's major "mining machine" electricity theft case was sentenced to "mining" Bitcoin and stealing more than 13.78 million yuan in electricity

As a virtual encrypted digital currency in the form of P2P, Bitcoin attracts some people to buy "mining machines" to mine Bitcoin due to its extremely strong scarcity. Using "mining machines" to mine Bitcoin online consumes a lot of electricity, and some people even go on the road of crime for this.

Yesterday morning, the Dantu District People's Court of Zhenjiang City held a public hearing in accordance with the law to hear the Zhenjiang "mining machine" stealing electricity to mine Bitcoin, which has aroused great public concern. The court sentenced 10 defendants. The Yangtze Evening News reporter learned from the trial that this case is also the largest case of theft of state-owned electricity in Jiangsu since the founding of New China.

Stealing electricity to mine Bitcoin with "mining machines"

The principal offender was involved in a case involving a sum of more than 13.78 million yuan

The court found that in order to reduce the high electricity costs of running Bitcoin "mining machines", from March 2017 to May 2019, the defendants Lan Moufeng, Li Mou, and Mao Mouhai conspired to rent venues in Dantu District, Zhenjiang City and other places, and stole state electricity to mine Bitcoin by short-circuiting transformers. During this period, the defendants Wang Moubin, Ye Mouhua, Lan Moulian, and Mao Mouping knew the above situation but still invested and helped maintain and manage. The defendants Zhu Mouzhong, Xu Moumin, and Liu Mouqun knew that the defendants Lan Moufeng and others stole state electricity but still provided assistance and profited from it. Among them, the principal offender Lan Moufeng was involved in a case involving an amount of up to 13.781383 million yuan.

Presiding Judge Wu Junmeng introduced that it was also found that the defendants returned 980,000 yuan in stolen money, of which Li returned 200,000 yuan, Xu returned 600,000 yuan, and Zhu returned 180,000 yuan. The returned stolen money has been returned to the Zhenjiang Power Supply Branch of the State Grid Jiangsu Electric Power Co., Ltd.

During the trial, Lan Moufeng and others voluntarily returned nearly 4,000 "mining machines" seized by the public security organs during the investigation stage and the 14 bitcoins held in the account as illegal gains to the power supply company. They had no objection to the criminal facts alleged by the public prosecution agency and pleaded guilty and accepted punishment in court.

The main offender was sentenced to 13 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan

The defendant's request for a lighter sentence was criticized by the prosecutor

Based on the facts of the crimes committed by each defendant, the nature and circumstances of the crimes and the degree of harm to society, the collegial panel, after deliberation, sentenced the 10 defendants to fixed-term imprisonment ranging from 3 to 13 years and imposed fines.

Judge Wu Junmeng told the Yangtze Evening News reporter that this case is the largest theft of electricity case in Jiangsu Province since the founding of the People's Republic of China. According to the standards for theft in Jiangsu Province, 50,000 yuan is a huge amount, and 400,000 yuan is an extremely huge amount. The principal offender in this case, Lan Moufeng, was involved in a sum of more than 13 million yuan, which is an extremely huge amount. According to the relevant provisions of the Criminal Law, he should be sentenced to more than 10 years of fixed-term imprisonment or life imprisonment, and a fine or confiscation of property. Considering that the defendant has confessed and accepted the crime, and is willing to return the stolen money, the collegial panel finally decided to sentence the first defendant to 13 years in prison and a fine of RMB 300,000.

At the scene, Yangtze Evening News reporters saw that many defendants stated through their respective lawyers that they were the "pillars" of their families, with elderly and sick parents and young children, and that their wives could not support them alone. Therefore, they hoped that the court would give full consideration and impose lighter sentences.

But the prosecutor's opinion was deafening: everyone has a family, and the defendants are the "pillars" of the family. After being sentenced, they will bring a great burden to their families. However, "I only remembered that my parents were sick and I had to support my family when I was in court. Why didn't I think about it when I committed the crime?!" Correspondent Liu Jiangyun and Wu Anna

Source: Yangtze Evening News