SDNY COURTHOUSE,
June 17 – Virgil Griffith,
charged with violating North
Korea sanctions in connection
with a crypto-currency
conference there and facing a
September 27 trial, pleaded
guilty in the morning and was
remanded to jail.
His
sentencing was set for January
18, 2022, but occurred on
April 12. Inner City Press was
there and live tweeted, as he
got 63 months and a $100,000
fine. Thread here
Griffith:
Watching Ukraine sanctions has
shown me their value. I have
been cured of my stubborn
arrogance, and my obsession
with North Korea. My career
has been damaged. I'm sorry.
Judge Castel:
Virgil Griffith has no
ideology. He'll play off both
sides, as long as he is at the
center. I sentence him to 63
months in prison and a fine of
$100,000.
Docketed
after the guilty plea was an
order allowing his lawyers to
take their fees out of his
Coinbase accounts,
582b97ccd7afbl018834f232 and
52fbe72ld358f6dda000010a.
Photo here.
Podcast here.
Jump cut two
years forward and on April 17,
2024 Virgil Griffith through
new counsel filed a "motion
for re-sentencing under
Section 4C1.1 of the
Guidelines." They say a two
point reduction brings the
Guidelines down to 51 to 63
months.
On May 21, Judge
Castel docketed: "ORDER as to
Virgil Griffith. On April 12,
2022, the defendant was
sentenced principally to a
term of imprisonment of 63
months. (Minute Entry; ECF
194.) By letter dated April
17, 2024, defendant, through
his attorneys, moved for a
sentence reduction pursuant to
Amendment 821 to the
Sentencing Guidelines which
went into effect on November
1, 2023 and applies
retroactively. (ECF 216.) The
United States Probation
Department has issued a report
indicating that defendant is
eligible for a sentence
reduction. (ECF 217.) The
government is directed to
respond to the motion by June
10, 2024. Defendant may reply
14 days after the filing of
the government's submission."
After an
extension the US Attorney's
Office on June 17 opposed any
reduction, citing denial in US
v. Calk (who lent to Paul
Manafort seeking a top US Army
post) and snarking that in
prison Griffith "has attempted
to steal soap and tea (though
he claims he was going to ask
to keep it).
Inner City Press
will follow this. Letter on
Patreon here
Back on July 20
he faced a bail review
proceeding - in person. He
lost and was remanded, perhaps
having an impact on the
September 27 guilty plea.
Inner City Press was there,
and live tweeted, here
and below (podcast here)
On
September 14, in the run up to
the trial starting on
September 27, there was a
final pre-trial conference
replete with rulings. Inner
City Press live tweeted it here.
On
September 22, Judge Castel
denied Griffith's sealed
motion to depose the Ethereum
Foundation's general counsel
Tju Liang Chua, or to allow
him to testify by video. Order
on Patreon here.
On other grounds - late
produced discovery -
Griffith's lawyers asked
for a week continuance in the
trial.
On September 23,
initially without Griffith
present, Judge Castel held a
hearing then denied the
request for delay. Inner City
Press live tweeted it here.
On September 26,
the Sunday before the trial
starts on Monday, the US
Attorney's Office docketed
their opposition to the
testimony of Ethereum's
General Counsel, and e-mails
of Virgil Griffith, filing on
DocumentCloud here.
Song here
On Saturday,
Griffith's lawyer belatedly
docketed their motion, on
Patreon here.
The case is US v.
Griffith, 20-cr-15
(Castel).
***
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