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Highlights
- Virgil Griffith's sentence reduced to 56 months, originally set at 63 months for North Korea sanctions violations.
- Griffith's legal team cites hardship in prison, seeks further sentence reduction under new U.S. guidelines.
- U.S. imposes 10-year export ban on Griffith, barring tech transactions until 2032
The Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith has been given a seven-month reduction in his prison sentence this week. Griffith was found guilty of breaching the sanctions law where he visited North Korea in 2019 to give a speech on how to use cryptocurrency and blockchain to dodge sanctions.
Ethereum Developer Prison Term Cut Down
According to a July 17 filing, District Judge Kevin Castel has ordered the term reduced to 56 months of Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum developer who was initially sentenced to 63 months in April 2022, U.S.
The factors that led to the decision to reduce Griffith’s sentence included misconduct and difficulties he faced during his incarceration. Castel also agreed that the danger to the public from Griffith in terms of future crimes had also reduced.
Nonetheless, the judge pointed out that Griffith continued to defy the rules in prison, although he was not an easy man to be behind bars with. However, Judge Castel noted that since the offense of the appellant is extremely grave, it is necessary to leave a long-time prison term.
MASSIVE news, frens — Virgil Griffith is coming home! Moments ago, the Court granted our motion to reduce Virgil's sentence and Judge Castel shaved seven months off the sentence. pic.twitter.com/568nPKtOsC
— Alexander Urbelis (@aurbelis) July 17, 2024
Griffith had entered into a guilty plea on sanctions violations in 2021 just before his trial in New York was to begin. The US attorneys said that Griffith knew that the money might be used by North Korea to avoid sanctions imposed on it by the international community. However, Griffith’s defense counsel argued for a lighter punishment, arguing that Griffith had no criminal history and that no one was financially affected by his actions.
Government Opposition
Griffith’s lawyers hoped for a reduced sentence, and a sign of him being a reformed man as he expressed remorse and took time to reflect on his actions when in custody. They described an instance where Griffith, in a bid to escape a fight, reported to the unit officer, and this led to him being moved and later charged with the offence of not being in his cell during the facility count.
Subsequently, in April, Griffiths’ legal representatives applied for a reduction of the given punishment considering the changes in the U.S. sentencing guidelines. According to the new guidelines, Griffith’s recommended sentence range could be lowered, therefore he could be released in January 2025.
However, in June, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams objected to the reduction citing Griffith’s purposeful actions to assist North Korea knowing the country is hostile to the U.S. and has a record of human rights abuses. Williams stated that the original sentence should be upheld due to Griffith’s actions to ensure that other similar cases do not occur.
Prison Conduct and Sentencing Adjustments
Griffith was subjected to numerous infractions while being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Milan, Michigan; these included charges of an attempt to steal soap and tea. The prosecutors had stated that his actions indicated that he had no regard for the prison rules and thus should not be given any more leniency.
Apart from the criminal case, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce had given a 10-year export privilege denial order to Griffith which does not allow him to engage in any activities concerning US export-controlled commodities, software or technology until the year 2032.
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