Baton Rouge police found 247 computer devices used for “mining” Bitcoin that were stolen in Kentucky in an abandoned building on Sharp Road, along with four UTVs missing from Washington state.
All told, the stolen property was worth about $850,000, making it one of the largest single theft recoveries Baton Rouge burglary officers have ever made, the department said in a news release Wednesday.
Bitcoin is one of the world’s most popular cryptocurrencies, digital assets that supporters say are an alternative to money issued by governments. Bitcoin “miners” compete do the complex math and coding necessary to create new coins, which requires networks of powerful computers.
The news release says 247 such computers were stolen in McKee, Kentucky. The victims were able to help detectives track the computers to an abandoned building in the 100 block of Sharp Road.
When police arrived shortly before 10:30 a.m. Monday, they found the computers and the four Honda UTVs. Mohammed Khaled, 37, was arrested and booked on counts of illegal possession of stolen property, police said.
According to an affidavit for Khaled’s arrest, detectives arrived at the building alongside a buyer for the devices and was let inside by Khaled. There, they found pallets of computer parts they were able to confirm as stolen.
The investigation is ongoing, the release said.
