Former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith will face sentencing in a New York court on April 12, ET. In November 2019, Griffith was arrested in November 2019 after giving a speech on cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea. The United States accused Griffith of instigating North Koreans to evade sanctions, thereby violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. (IEEPA).
Virgil Griffith’s plea deal could make him face 63 to 78 months (about 5 to 6.5 years) in prison, and the U.S. government has also asked a judge to fine him up to $1 million to stop him and others “from happening in the future” similar behavior”.
Griffith’s relatives and Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin have jointly written a letter asking the court for leniency for Virgil Griffith’s crimes. Griffith’s lawyers have also asked the court to consider a more lenient two-year sentence, which includes time spent in prison, and a three-year supervised release period, which includes 270 days of home detention.