Nebraska Man’s $3.5M Cloud Heist: From Cryptojacking to Courtroom Drama
Nebraska man Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” pleaded guilty to a cryptojacking scheme. He mined $970,000 in cryptocurrency using unpaid cloud computing resources from companies likely based in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. His antics included creating fake companies like “MultiMillionaire LLC” and dodging a $3.5 million bill.
Hot Take:
Well, it seems like Charles O. Parks III, aka “CP3O,” decided to audition for the role of “The Phantom of the Cloud” by singing the sweet symphony of unpaid bills and cryptojacking. If only he’d invested as much in a calculator as he did in cloud computing, he might have realized that $970,000 in crypto doesn’t quite cover a $3.5 million tab. But hey, who needs math when you have aliases like “MultiMillionaire LLC”? Maybe next time, he should try “PayMyBills LLC” instead.
Key Points:
- Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” ran a cryptojacking operation using cloud computing resources without paying the $3.5 million bill.
- He used various aliases and corporate entities to create multiple accounts with cloud service providers.
- Parks mined cryptocurrencies such as Ether, Litecoin, and Monero using “elevated levels” of cloud services.
- The ill-gotten gains were laundered through crypto exchanges, NFT marketplaces, and online payment services.
- Parks faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges.