Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer, has asked for a sentence reduction. Griffith was given a 63-month prison sentence in 2022 for helping North Korea use blockchain technology.
Glen Garrett McGorty, Virgil Griffith's attorney, made the plea in a letter dated April 17 to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The letter asks the court to modify Griffith's sentence in light of recently implemented changes to federal sentencing guidelines, which give some "zero-point" offenders a two-point offense level reduction.
After admitting guilt to breaking sanctions laws by attending a seminar in North Korea and helping the government use blockchain technology in contravention of US economic sanctions, Griffith was given a 63-month prison sentence and a $100,000 fine in April 2022.
The letter makes the case that, in light of the new standards' requirements, Griffith is eligible for a two-point reduction as a "zero-point" offender.
His overall offense level would drop from 26 to 24, resulting in a revised guidelines range of 51 to 63 months, which may cut his sentence by a year or more.
The letter asks the court to mandate that the U.S. In order for the defense to present updated data and arguments in support of their request for a reduction in sentence, the Probation Office should prepare a revised pre-sentence investigation report, set up a resentencing hearing, and permit a briefing schedule.
A first-time, non-violent offender who meets specific requirements for a lower likelihood of recidivism than other criminals is considered a "zero-point" offender.
May 2023 will see the U.S. A 10-year export privilege prohibition was also issued by the Department of Commerce on Griffith, who was serving the first year of a five-year sentence.
This implies that he was prohibited from doing business with any companies that deal with goods, software, or technology that are subject to export laws from the United States.
April 2024, Cryptoniteuae