- Virgil Griffith, sentenced in 2022 for aiding North Korea in utilizing blockchain, has filed for a sentence reduction based on recent changes to U.S. sentencing guidelines.
- Griffith, who presented on blockchain's potential to circumvent sanctions at a 2019 North Korean crypto conference, seeks leniency considering his classification as a "zero-point" offender.
Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer and friend of co-founder Vitalik Buterin, who was sentenced to 63 months in prison in 2022 for assisting North Korea in leveraging blockchain, has filed a request for a sentence reduction.
According to Matthew Russell Lee for/as Inner City Press, Glen Garrett McGorty, an attorney for Virgil Griffith, submitted a letter to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 17.
CRYPTO IN THE COURTS: Virgil Griffith Got 63 Month Sentence After He Pled To North Korea Sanctions Violation Conspiracy Now He Asks for Resentencing - Inner City Press story: https://t.co/VBy1Xuog7p Filing on Patreon here: https://t.co/kvmB9w4uz8
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) April 17, 2024
The letter asks the court to reconsider Griffith’s sentence, taking into account recent changes to U.S. sentencing guidelines that allow for a two-point reduction in the offense level for specific zero-point offenders.
Griffith was sentenced to over five years in prison for delivering a presentation at a 2019 crypto conference that took place in North Korea. His talk was particularly sensitive, as it included ways to use blockchain technology to circumvent economic sanctions.
Moreover, Griffith's involvement went beyond a single speech. He discussed in depth with North Korean officials about setting up a blockchain node and even attempted to persuade the Ethereum Foundation that it was a feasible project.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
