James Howells, from Newport, Wales, has been locked in a long dispute with his local council after he requested permission to go digging around a landfill site for his much-desired lost treasure.
Howells’ unbelievable story began way back in 2013 when his ex-partner accidentally threw out the hard drive which contained 8,000 Bitcoin.
And for those who are unaware with Bitcoin’s massive worth, 8,000 is said to be worth a huge $190 million now.
The IT engineer has never been able to access the landfill site where he believes the hard drive has ended up due to Newport City Council turning down his multiple requests.
“Newport City Council continues to ignore our requests for a meeting, a genuine sit-down conversation, to figure out a way forward. They continue to stonewall us,” Howells said in a previous letter to the council.
“The only option left is legal action. I have three barristers [Dean Armstrong KC, Bruce Drummond and Maria Mulla] on board and we are willing to take them all the way to the High Court and Supreme Court if necessary.”
He added: “It’s ridiculous that they have not had a conversation with us about how to do this safely, without damaging the environment, at no cost to the council.
“The value of the coins is still viable and will grow over time.”
Newport City Council has previously cited permit issues at the site, adding that Howells will be unlikely to retrieve phone-sized hard drive even if he did gain access.
But in November last year, Howells revealed his latest plan and last throw of the dice to get his lost fortune back.
After his legal team wrote to the local council once more, Howells is hoping to push through with his plan.
If successful with his latest efforts, Howells hopes to deploy AI-powered mechanical arms to sift through the rubbish to find the missing drive.
Howells has said that if he is successful with his mission, then he will turn Newport into the UK’s first ‘crypto hub’.
So, if he finds his missing hard drive, Howells plans to gift Newport’s 160,000 residents £50 ($63) each.
