Power Company Tip Leads to Bitcoin Mining Raid

[MicroGuy]

Virginia bitcoin enthusiast, Jonas Diener, 37, will avoid jail time for cannabis discovered in his home during a police raid. The home invasion occurred after a power company official tipped off police that the bitcoin miner was using an “incredible” amount of electricity in his home.

The employee told law enforcement officials the house was using eight times the amount of power a typical home that size would use. This caused police suspicion of a marijuana growing operation in the home. During the raid, police arrested the man and seized all his Bitcoin mining equipment, a number of physical bitcoins, and a small quantity of marijuana.

Per the terms of the plea agreement, the man received six months in jail, all suspended, for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia, while a more serious charge of marijuana possession was dropped. The man appeared in Rockingham County Circuit Court on Thursday.

Bitcoin is a software-based online payment system described by Satoshi Nakamoto in 2008 and introduced as open-source software in 2009. Payments are recorded in a public ledger using its own unit of account, which is also called bitcoin.

Full Story: http://altcoinpress.com/2014/09/power-company-tip-leads-to-bitcoin-mining-raid/

[Jordan23]

In NC the drug paraphernalia charge is more serious than a misdemeanor possession because the law does not distinguish between a weed pipe or a crack pipe. All paraphernalia is lumped in together. Maybe its different in VA.

[adamstgBit]

everyone make sure not to use too much power or the cops are gonna break down your door and arrest you, even if you didn't do anything wrong. this the motherfuicking proff!

how much weed did he have???

why did they take the computers?

is it illegal to have computers!?

this is fucking BS.

sue the bastards for the missed mining income, make them pay in BTC.

[Hufflepuff]

a creepy power company, a creepy police force, and an even creepier legal system

[Divinespark]

This is scary, scary stuff. Makings of a police state with craven bureaucrats who think nothing of ratting on people to higher authorities. Disgraceful on every count.

[notbatman]

Hold on second, they sized "a number of physical Bitcoins"?

[QuestionAuthority]

http://billmoyers.com/2013/12/16/land-of-the-free-us-has-5-of-the-worlds-population-and-25-of-its-prisoners/

[notbatman]

Keep in mind the police already knew who lived in the house before they raided.

This guy has a previous history of MJ growing.

If you are going to run Bitcoin farms it is not advisable to run MJ farms concurrently.


~BCX~

More info

http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Pot-Bust-Leads-To-Investigation-into-Mans-Computer-228429621.html

What if your warehouse is in Colorado?

[wasserman99]

everyone make sure not to use too much power or the cops are gonna break down your door and arrest you, even if you didn't do anything wrong. this the motherfuicking proff!

how much weed did he have???

why did they take the computers?

is it illegal to have computers!?

this is fucking BS.

sue the bastards for the missed mining income, make them pay in BTC.

The issue was not that he was mining bitcoin. The issue was that he was using a lot of electricity which was probably cause to search his house. When the police searched his house they found drugs which lead to his arrest. He was not charged with anything to do with him mining

[counter]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

[ruthless09]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

You need to remember the police did not simply break into the person's house. They came with a warrant. There is a huge difference between the two. A search warrant is given by a neutral judge who can see that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed.

[niothor]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

Did you bother for half a minute to actually read the thread.

Read what BCX has posted just above you:

The reason the warrant was issued was him using eight times the normal usage of a residence *AND* because he had previous history of operating growing houses.

This isn't a case where some innocent person was raided due to simply using too much electricity. It was that fact combined with his previous criminal history.

Whatever your personal feelings are regarding MJ, growing it in Virginia is still very much illegal.

Mining Bitcoin wasn't the issue, it was the grow operation that got him in trouble.
~BCX~

I really don't understand why the some of the guys here on the forum try to pose always in victims of the system and cry how the government is raping their innocent asses every day.

The guy had a history if growing marijuana , he had drugs in his house , what more do you want.

So if a guy that has a criminal record for car theft has suddenly 10 cars in his yard the cops shouldn't investigate it?

[TheButterZone]

Growing marijuana is a victimless crime, car theft is not.

[niothor]

Growing marijuana is a victimless crime, car theft is not.

Growing marijuana is illegal (there). Speeding is illegal.
None of the above is creating victims till something goes wrong.

[yatsey87]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

I agree they should've collected more evidence before going in, because is a large electricity bill really proof of guilt of anything? In this case, obviously it wasnt.

[seriouscoin]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

I agree they should've collected more evidence before going in, because is a large electricity bill really proof of guilt of anything? In this case, obviously it wasnt.

Some of you need to move out of your mamma's basement.

Having a search warrant doesnt require a "proof of guilt" but only probable cause.

What a bunch of idiots.

Whatever the home owner did, he must have a record for a probable cause.

[TrailingComet]

What a low, scummy douchebag act!
You don't betray people to the authorities like that, it's like fucking East germany

[niothor]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

I agree they should've collected more evidence before going in, because is a large electricity bill really proof of guilt of anything? In this case, obviously it wasnt.

Some of you need to move out of your mamma's basement.

Having a search warrant doesnt require a "proof of guilt" but only probable cause.

What a bunch of idiots.

Whatever the home owner did, he must have a record for a probable cause.

Before that he should have not any drugs in his house and not have been involved in MJ  in the past.
He is not the innocent guy and stop blaming the cops.

They come in with a mandate , they fund the drugs they arrested the guy.

It's the same when a cops pulls you over for speeding and finds drugs in your car.
Bitcoin is irrelevant.

[Dajve]

What a low, scummy douchebag act!
You don't betray people to the authorities like that, it's like fucking East germany

It's not uncommon for electric companies to tip of the police about any suspicious usage.

[counter]

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

You need to remember the police did not simply break into the person's house. They came with a warrant. There is a huge difference between the two. A search warrant is given by a neutral judge who can see that there is probable cause that a crime has been committed.

I know all to well how a raid works, no need to explain.  I may have jumped the gun a little bit(pun intended).  My issue is police many times have raided a persons home that has done no crime based on a bad tip.  People have gotten killed because of the poorly planned raids.  For me that is a problem I don't know why people can accept that kind of action,  What would everyone say if they guy got shot dead?  You need to put yourself in the position of the cops and the miner.  The cops could have easily spent time watching the house for obvious activity of marijuana growing but they didn't.

I'd be so pissed if they broke into my house with loaded weapons simply because the electric company gave them a "tip".    Those rat bastards got their money for the bill but then ratted him out.  It isn't their job to report electricity use to the police, their not cops, that guy should be suing them and the cops.  Cops are to lazy to do any kind of investigation and just kick in doors from miscellaneous tips.  What did they find computers and some weed, tax dollars well spent I'd say.

I agree they should've collected more evidence before going in, because is a large electricity bill really proof of guilt of anything? In this case, obviously it wasnt.

Some of you need to move out of your mamma's basement.

Having a search warrant doesnt require a "proof of guilt" but only probable cause.

What a bunch of idiots.

Whatever the home owner did, he must have a record for a probable cause.

 


And all people who have their house raided have a criminal history?  No, the reality is these raids are to often used instead of good old fashion police work before hand.  News flash sending swat into a home is dangerous and should only happen as a last resort option.  If their was a grow op in there the size they were looking for they would have had enough time to investigate and gather evidence, grow up and use your brain.

So if I don't like how the raid was handled I live in my moms basement and I'm an idiot?  No shit Sherlock tell  me  more.  Going by that logic I'd say you never stopped breast feeding and that is why your so cranky.