The status that incriminates Stefansson is currently in doubt, because by the time of his escape, the arrest warrant issued by the judge had expired. Additionally, Icelandic laws do not envisage escape from prison as a crime. Stefansson said he wants to go back to his cell in Iceland for the comforts it offers.
Sindri Thor Stefansson, a 31-year-old Icelandic man accused of stealing 600 machines used to mine bitcoins, who escaped in early April from Sogn, a low-security prison located in rural areas of southern Iceland, was arrested again two years ago. weeks in the Netherlands. The ex-cons has expressed regret for his escape and his decision to flee the country, where he was suspected of a crime dubbed the Big Bitcoin Heist.
In an interview for The New York Times, Stefansson claimed to be sorry for his action after escaping from prison and seeing his "wanted" picture. After being extradited to Iceland on Friday, the thief also said he was happy to return to a more secure and comfortable prison.
As already outlined above, Stefansson's flight is an unparalleled case in the peaceful island nation of Iceland, with a population of 340,000 and one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The country's police still do not have clues as to where the 600 bitcoin mining computers are hidden, valued at approximately USD $ 2 million.
Repentance takes control
Stefansson, initially arrested in February for his role in the Big Bitcoin Heist, told the New York Times that he was disappointed in himself for making his family suffer so much that he could not eat.
The theft indicates that, in Iceland, there is not enough security for massive thefts, nor within the country's own security institutions: the apparently simple escape of Stefansson reflects the lack of security in the country's penal system.
Stefansson escaped from Sogn, an open prison where inmates live in their own rooms with flat-screen TVs and can talk on their own cell phones. Prisoners earn the equivalent of USD $ 4 per hour for cooking, cleaning and maintaining a chicken coop.
The entrance road to the prison is blocked by a type of door similar to that used by hourly parking lots. The property, which has a soccer field, is surrounded by wire fences a few feet high.