postal worker caught using secret tunnel under post office for illegal crypto mining operation
- The 15-foot tunnel was discovered during a routine inspection after the postmaster noticed unusually high electricity bills—four times the normal amount for a facility that size.
- The unnamed postal worker, a 10-year veteran, had allegedly been running a large-scale crypto mining rig powered by the post office’s electrical grid, bypassing meters to avoid detection.
- Authorities say the miner dug the tunnel over five months using only a small shovel and a hand drill, then concealed the entrance under a heavy mail sorting table.
- The operation generated an estimated $200,000 worth of cryptocurrency before it was stopped, but the postal service is now facing a major security breach investigation and potential lawsuits over energy theft.
- The suspect faces federal charges including theft of government property and unauthorized tunneling, with a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.