Virgil Griffith Files for Sentence Reduction
Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith, who is serving a 63-month prison sentence for assisting North Korea in utilizing blockchain technology, has filed a request for a sentence reduction.
- Griffith’s attorney, Glen Garrett McGorty, submitted a plea to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 17.
- The request is based on recent amendments to U.S. sentencing guidelines, including provisions for a reduction in the offense level for certain offenders.
- Griffith’s legal team argues that he qualifies for this reduction based on the outlined criteria.
Griffith’s Initial Sentence
Originally, Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in prison and ordered to pay a $100,000 fine in April 2022 after pleading guilty to violating U.S. sanctions laws.
- His offense involved attending a conference in North Korea and providing assistance to the country in using blockchain technology, despite U.S. economic sanctions.
- The requested reduction would lower his total offense level, potentially reducing his term by a year or more.
- Griffith’s defense team is urging the court to prepare a revised pre-sentence investigation report and schedule a resentencing hearing.
Challenges Faced by Tornado Cash Developer
Roman Storm, co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, has challenged charges against him, seeking dismissal on claims that he did not operate a money laundering business or violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
- Storm’s legal team argues that he cannot be accused of conspiring to launder funds, as Tornado Cash was developed and publicly available before being utilized by sanctioned hacking groups.
- They claim that Storm had limited control over preventing a “sanctioned entity from using it” at the time of the alleged misconduct.
Hot Take: Legal Battles Continue for Crypto Developers
As the cases of Virgil Griffith and Roman Storm demonstrate, legal battles continue for developers in the crypto space. It is essential for individuals involved in blockchain and cryptocurrency projects to stay informed about regulatory guidelines and compliance requirements to avoid facing similar challenges in the future.
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