U.S. prosecutors oppose reducing ex-Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith’s 5-year sentence for violating North Korea sanctions.
The United States Justice Department has issued a letter opposing the motion of former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith to reduce his 2022 sentence for violating sanctions on North Korea.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams argued in a June 17 filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that a judge should deny Griffith’s motion to reduce his sentence to as little as 51 months.
In April 2022, a judge sentenced the former Ethereum developer to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine. However, his anticipated release date is January 2026, as he was already incarcerated prior to the sentencing hearing.
“Griffith chose to evade the sanctions of his own country to provide services to a hostile foreign power, specifically, services designed to teach and encourage the use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to further evade U.S. and United Nations sanctions,” said Williams. “Griffith acted despite knowing that North Korea was committing atrocities against its own people and had made threats against the United States, including nuclear capabilities.”
In 2019, Griffith delivered numerous presentations at a cryptocurrency and blockchain conference in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. His topics included the potential for the country to employ cryptocurrency to circumvent sanctions and facilitate money laundering.
The Ethereum developer’s attorneys contended in court that his preoccupation with the reclusive nation was the result of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder.
“[T]he defendant’s recent conduct [doesn’t] demonstrate any basis for additional leniency […] At the very least, these incidents do not suggest a newfound respect for government rules and regulations.”
During Griffith’s tenure at the Federal Correctional Institution, Milan in Michigan, authorities with the Bureau of Prisons had disciplined him “on numerous occasions,” according to prosecutors. They cited reports from prison officials that the former Ethereum developer “attempted to steal soap and tea” and committed other minor infractions while behind bars.
Griffith’s legal team requested that the court modify his 63-month sentence in April by changes to U.S. sentencing guidelines that occurred after his conviction.
Griffith may be eligible for release in January 2025 if the recommended sentence range for his conviction is reduced from 63 to 78 months to 51 to 63 months under the new guidelines. This reduction could conceivably reduce his time in prison by up to a year.
Griffith stated during his April 2022 sentencing hearing that he had been “cured” of his “obsession with North Korea” as a result of the example set by sanctions on Russia in response to the country’s attack on Ukraine. At the time, Judge Kevin Castel stated that Griffth lacked ideology and would likely “play off both sides, as long as he is at the center.”
Griffith’s legal team is anticipated to submit a response to the U.S. government’s letter within the next 14 days. Griffith has been restricted from engaging in any transactions involving commodities, software, or technology under U.S. export regulations until 2032, regardless of the outcome of the criminal case, by the U.S. Department of Commerce, which has already imposed a 10-year export privilege prohibition on him.
