Cohasset man charged with hiding crypto mining operation in school crawl space

A former Cohasset employee is facing charges of allegedly setting up a secret cryptocurrency mining operation in a remote crawl space at a town school, police said.

Nadeam Nahas, 39, did not show up for his arraignment on Thursday, where he faced charges of fraudulent use of electricity and vandalizing a school. A judge issued a default warrant after rejecting a defense motion to reschedule, a spokesperson for the Norfolk district attorney's office said.

Nahas did not answer a call made to his listed number on Thursday, and there was no option to leave a message.

Police responded to Cohasset Middle/High School in December 2021 after the town’s facilities director found electrical wires, temporary duct work and numerous computers that seemed out of place while conducting a routine inspection of the school, Chief William Quigley of the Cohasset Police Department said in a statement Wednesday.

He contacted the town's IT director, who said it was a cryptocurrency mining operation unlawfully hooked up to the school's electrical system, Quigley said.

The Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Department of Homeland Security assisted with safely removing and examining the equipment.

Crypto mining, the process of validating cryptocurrency transactions and creating new cryptocurrency, can consume vast amounts of electricity.

Nahas, the town's assistant facilities director, was identified as a suspect after a three-month investigation. After a show-cause hearing, a criminal complaint was issued.

Nahas subsequently resigned from his job with the town in early 2022, police said.