The Florida Department of Law Enforcement recently arrested an employee of the Department of Citrus. The 51-year-old IT manager is accused of white collar crimes that involve grand theft of state funds. A spokesperson for the Department of Citrus says suspicious activity by the accused employee gave rise to the investigation.
Reportedly, the Inspector General of the agency reported the suspicious behavior to the FDLE. An investigation followed that revealed that the accused worker used the resources of the state to participate in cryptocurrency mining. The energy consumption of these activities apparently caused his employer’s utility bill to increase by 41 percent during the period Oct. 2017 through Jan. 2018.
It is further alleged that the IT manager used his company-issued purchasing card to order merchandise valued at $22,000 — including 24 Graphic Printing Units. The grand theft charges only involve this felony as law enforcement has no idea whether the man made any profits from his illicit cryptocurrency mining. If he did, the value of such profits will be factored in. Authorities say a conviction could lead to incarceration for as long as 15 years and probation for up to 15 years along with a fine of $10,000.
Anyone in Florida who is facing similar charges may seek the skills of an experienced criminal defense attorney to devise a strategy that will be in the best interests of the accused individual. A lawyer who is experienced in fighting for the rights of those who are accused of white collar crimes can scrutinize the evidence and the methods investigators used to obtain it. After an independent investigation, an attorney can proceed to work on achieving the best possible outcome.
Source: bitcoinist.com, “Squeezed! Florida Department of Citrus Employee Arrested for Mining Cryptocurrencies“, Jeff Francis, March 17, 2018
