Fun

Federal Court Rejects Motion Filed by Crypto Developer Virgil Griffith to Dismiss Charges on Aiding North Korea

News Feed - 2021-01-30 11:01:19

Federal Court Rejects Motion Filed by Crypto Developer Virgil Griffith to Dismiss Charges on Aiding North Korea


A U.S. federal judge has rejected a motion filed by a former Ethereum Foundation developer over allegations of assisting North Korea to bypass sanctions. Prosecutors claim, Virgil Griffith, aided the regime by providing critical information on cryptocurrencies. Prosecutors Say Griffith’s Speech Was About the Use of Cryptos to Circumvent Sanctions


Per Law360, a jury is now set to determine if Griffith violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by giving a speech at the Pyongyang Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Conference in 2019.


Kevin Castel, a U.S. District Judge, denied Griffith’s motion because the “short and vague” four-page indictment lacked specific details of his alleged criminal actions. He further commented on the matter: Examining the indictment in light of the parties’ arguments, the court concludes that it provides adequate notice of the charges against Griffith sufficient to enable him to prepare for trial and, if it becomes necessary, plead double jeopardy as a defense. Further, upon review of the law governing the offense conduct, the indictment states a federal crime and violates no constitutional prohibition.


Prosecutors accused the former Ethereum Foundation developer of giving a speech in Pyongyang about the use of cryptocurrencies to get around U.S. economic sanctions.


Griffith was arrested on Thanksgiving Day in 2019. However, on December 30, 2019, he was granted bail by U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick.


Many crypto supporters stood up for Griffith’s cause when he was arrested, and influencers like John McAfee called the U.S. government “corrupt at the core.”


Griffith didn’t receive permission from the U.S. Department of Justice to travel to South Korea for the conference. However, per court documents, he got the approval of the North Korean United Nations (UN) Mission in Manhattan and was granted a visa.


Griffith Claims His Speech Was Based on Publicly-Available Information About Blockchain


The Ethereum proponent alleges he gave very basic information about blockchain to about 100 North Koreans who attended his speech. Also, he adds that everything said in his participation is publicly available on the internet. However, prosecutors believe North Korea could use his speech’s content to launder money and bypass sanctions potentially.


Also, the court revealed a message sent by Griffith to colleagues in 2018 before his speech, which reads as follow: We’d love to make an Ethereum trip to the DPRK and set up an Ethereum node … It’ll help them circumvent the current sanctions on them.


But the former blockchain developer claimed in his rejected motion that such speech was protected by the First Amendment freedom of speech.


As of press time, the court date for Griffith’s case is still set for September 2021.


What do you think about this federal judge’s decision? Let us know in the comments section below. Pirate"s Treasure: How the World"s Leading Torrent Site Pirate Bay Amassed $4.5 Million in Bitcoin NEWS | 4 hours ago BIS Chief Banker Criticizes Bitcoin as Inherently Risky, Says BTC Vulnerable to 51% Attack NEWS | 2 days ago Tags in this story Bail, blockchain technology, Court, DPRK, Ethereum Foundation, New York Southern District Court, north korea, NYSD prosecutors, Sanctions


Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons Purchase Bitcoin without visiting a cryptocurrency exchange. Buy BTC and BCH here. Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a direct offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell, or a recommendation or endorsement of any products, services, or companies. Bitcoin.com does not provide investment, tax, legal, or accounting advice. Neither the company nor the author is responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any content, goods or services mentioned in this article. Read disclaimerShow comments

News Feed

Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Drops Under $24,000 After Falling Below Key Price Ceiling
Bitcoin, Ethereum Technical Analysis: BTC Drops Under $24,000 After Falling Below Key Price Ceiling Bitcoin fell below $24,000 in today’s session, as prices collided with a
Draper-Backed Startup Launches .Crypto Domains on Ethereum
A startup building domains on blockchains has just launched a .crypto name registry on ethereum. Unstoppable Domains – a firm backed in May to the tune of $4 million by Dr
Price analysis 2/21: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, ADA, AVAX, DOGE, LINK, DOT
Rakesh Upadhyay4 hours agoPrice analysis 2/21: BTC, ETH, BNB, SOL, XRP, ADA, AVAX, DOGE, LINK, DOTBulls failed to hold Bitcoin price above $52,000, possibly marking the start of a short-term trend change in BTC and altco
SushiSwap DAO backs transition to ‘Labs model’ in preliminary vote
Ana Paula Pereira6 hours agoSushiSwap DAO backs transition to ‘Labs model’ in preliminary voteMore than 62% of SushiSwap voters backed the move to a “Labs model” in a signal vote on April 10, showing support for
William Suberg8 hours agoBitcoin rejects at 21-day trendline — How low can BTC price go?BTC price fails to protect the $30,000 mark after a brief resurgence, and Bitcoin traders are not confident of new highs.3779 Tota
Game of Thrones Star Maisie Williams Wants to Know if She Should Buy Bitcoin
Game of Thrones Star Maisie Williams Wants to Know if She Should Buy Bitcoin Game of Thrones and The New Mutants actress Maisie Williams has started a poll on Tw
Ray Salmond3 hours agoBTC price cools off, but ‘You can never have too much Bitcoin,’ says SaylorBitcoin price cooled off after an impressive 30% monthly gain, but MicroStrategy CEO Michael Saylor made the case for w
Toncoin Takes A Hit With 12% Correction After Failing To Break $4.34, More Pain?
Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and pu
Jesse Coghlan24 minutes agoRush for Hong Kong’s crypto licenses yet to translate to jobs: RecruitersHundreds of firms have been lining up for a Hong Kong crypto license, but recruiters say they are yet to see an accomp
Turner Wright12 hours agoUS crypto exchanges give XRP listings a second chance after court rulingAfter two years, Coinbase said it will reenable XRP trading, Kraken and iTrustCapital announced they had already relisted t
Jeff Bezos Directs Amazon to Accept Bitcoin and Other Popular Cryptocurrencies: Report
Jeff Bezos Directs Amazon to Accept Bitcoin and Other Popular Cryptocurrencies: Report Amazon is reportedly planning to accept bitcoin for payments, after which
Report: Blockchain.com Cuts Staff by 25%, Executive Salaries Reduced
Report: Blockchain.com Cuts Staff by 25%, Executive Salaries Reduced According to a recent report, Blockchain.com has laid off a quarter of the company’s staff and it has cl