Siberian Legislator Faces Charges for Garage-Based Crypto Mining

A member of the Krivodanovsky village council in the Novosibirsk region has been accused of causing property damage through illegal cryptocurrency mining, according to the regional prosecutor’s office.

Case files indicate that 28-year-old Alik Nersisyan set up an illicit mining operation in his garage in the village of Krivodanovka. Investigators allege he used piercing clamps to connect his equipment to an overhead power line leading to a substation.

From June 2022 to June 2023, unmetered energy consumption reportedly caused AO “RES” damages amounting to approximately 6.5 million rubles.

During a search, law enforcement seized 16 ASIC miners.

The case has been forwarded to the Novosibirsk District Court. The legislator faces up to five years in prison, and his assets valued at 1.2 million rubles have been seized.

Earlier in November, police in Samara shut down an illegal mining operation at a local enterprise.