pleaded guilty <\/a>to orchestrating a murder-for-hire scheme via the dark web. The physician uses Bitcoin as the primary means of payment. His sinister plot involved hiring a hitman to stage his girlfriend's death into a carjacking gone wrong.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWan is now awaiting sentencing scheduled for January 2024 in a federal court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the doctor initiated his dark web venture in April 2022. He meticulously planned his girlfriend's murder, providing extensive details, including her Facebook account and vehicle description. The contract was to be sealed with multiple Bitcoin payments, approximately $24,200, which included resending a payment due to an incorrect crypto wallet address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wan's operation encountered complications from the outset. Initially, he attempted to secure the murder-for-hire contract by transferring a 50% down payment, to an escrow wallet. This initial transaction, around $8,000, went awry as the funds were mistakenly sent to an incorrect wallet address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week later, Wan sent another $8,000 in Bitcoin to ensure sufficient money was in the escrow account for the contract to proceed. He then began inquiring on the marketplace's forum about the progress and timing of the operation. Despite his impatience, the murder plot was never carried out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, commented in a press release, \"Despite his cowardly concealment on the dark web, Wan's cold-hearted murderous plot was thwarted thanks to the exceptional work of our team. He will now face the full consequences of the criminal justice system.\"<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nBut Dr. Wan was not the first<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Wan's case is not the first instance of individuals attempting to use Bitcoin to hire hitmen. In 2021, the FBI charged a 41-year-old Utah man who paid $16,000 in Bitcoin for a double murder. The same year, an Italian man transferred \u20ac10,000 ($12,000) in cryptocurrency for an assault on his ex-girlfriend. He specifies that he wanted the hitman to \"throw acid in her face, but without blinding her.\"<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nEarlier this year, a Nevada woman received a 5-year sentence for using Bitcoin to hire a hitman to murder her ex-husband. In contrast, another woman in Tennessee was indicted in June for attempting to hire a hitman, who requested payment in Bitcoin, to kill a friend's wife she met on Match.com.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Georgia Doctor Pleads Guilty In Bitcoin Murder-For-Hire Plot","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"georgia-doctor-pleads-guilty-in-bitcoin-murder-for-hire-plot","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-24 00:30:38","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-23 13:30:38","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.thedistributed.co\/?p=13933","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":13917,"post_author":"15","post_date":"2023-10-24 00:30:04","post_date_gmt":"2023-10-23 13:30:04","post_content":"\n
Bitcoin mining company Sazmining has inaugurated a brand-new facility in Paraguay powered entirely by renewable energy. The facility is designed to support customer-owned Bitcoin mining rigs, which draw its energy from the Itaipu Dam, Paraguay's largest hydroelectric power source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sazmining President Kent Halliburton explained to Decrypt<\/a> that Paraguay was selling 5 gigawatts of power to its neighboring country, Brazil, at a loss due to its unique hydropower generation dynamics. Consequently, the company's presence has received strong support from local authorities and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBy harnessing power from the Itaipu Dam and purchasing surplus energy instead of exporting it at a loss, Sazmining helps transform a hindrance to Paraguay's GDP into a beneficial force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why renewable energy?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Energy costs play a vital role in Bitcoin mining, and Sazmining's new facility energy costs $0.047 per kilowatt-hour. A significant difference compared to the United States, which averages around $0.17 per kilowatt-hour for energy costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Texas is often celebrated as a strong Bitcoin mining hub, Halliburton sees Paraguay as \"the new Texas.\" He revealed that, by accepting 95% power uptime instead of 100%, the company could secure lower rates. Additionally, Halliburton expressed confidence in the grid's future development and the potential implementation of programs similar to those in Texas. Where miners receive energy credits for shutting down their rigs during periods of high demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Paraguay's contribution to the global Bitcoin mining network is relatively small, with the Cambridge Center for Alternative Finance (CCAF) reporting a hash rate production of 0.15% as of September 2021. However, Sazmining views this as an opportunity to prepare for an expected influx of Bitcoin miners, positioning itself ahead of the trend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sazmining believes in the potential for growth and development in Paraguay's Bitcoin mining sector, where renewable energy sources are set to play a vital role.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Sazmining Breaks New Ground With 100% Renewable Energy Bitcoin Mining Facility In Paraguay","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"sazmining-breaks-new-ground-with-100-renewable-energy-bitcoin-mining-facility-in-paraguay","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-10-24 00:30:33","post_modified_gmt":"2023-10-23 13:30:33","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.thedistributed.co\/?p=13917","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"total_page":false},"paged":1,"class":"jblog_block_13"};
