Crypto miner arrested for skipping on $3.5 million in cloud server bills

Crypto miner arrested for skipping on $3.5 million in cloud server bills

April 15, 2024 at 02:13PM

The U.S. Department of Justice has arrested and indicted Charles O. Parks III, alias “CP3O,” for allegedly using cloud servers for unauthorized crypto mining, accruing $3.5 million in charges. He exploited cloud providers through fake corporate identities, laundering the mined cryptocurrency. Charges include wire fraud and money laundering, carrying a potential prison sentence of 30 years.

Based on the meeting notes, it seems that Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” has been arrested and indicted for allegedly defrauding cloud service providers by mining cryptocurrency using large numbers of rented cloud servers and not paying for the services. He reportedly created fake corporate identities to open numerous accounts with cloud service providers in order to gain access to substantial computing power. It is alleged that he laundered the mined amounts through various means to fund a lavish lifestyle, leaving mounting bills on the cloud services unpaid.

The indictment includes charges of wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions, which may lead to a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Parks was arrested in Nebraska and is scheduled for his first hearing in an Omaha federal court tomorrow. Additionally, the DOJ indictment mentions that the mined amounts were laundered through purchasing non-fungible tokens, converting and moving them to various cryptocurrency exchanges, or passing them through online payment platforms and traditional bank accounts.

In January 2024, the Ukrainian police, with the help of Europol, arrested a man who allegedly used hacked accounts belonging to various organizations to create a million virtual servers that mined $2,000,000 worth of cryptocurrency. The meeting notes also suggest that cloud service providers can take measures to minimize the risk of cryptojacking, such as enforcing more stringent identity verification procedures, setting lower usage caps for new accounts, and implementing better anomaly detection systems to minimize losses.

These are the key takeaways from the meeting notes regarding the alleged cryptocurrency mining activities and related legal actions of Charles O. Parks III and other related incidents. Let me know if you need further information or assistance.

Full Article