Key Takeaways
- A two-point reduction could bring Griffith’s sentence down to as low as 51 months
- He was found guilty of illegally exporting services to North Korea and bypassing U.S. sanctions against the country.
Former Ethereum Developer Virgil Griffith is seeking a reduction in his prison sentence. Griffith was convicted in April 2022 for violating US sanctions by attending a Pyongyang conference and giving a presentation on blockchain technology.
Virgil Griffith was convicted on April 12, 2022, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). He was found guilty of illegally exporting services to North Korea and bypassing U.S. sanctions against the country.
Prosecutors argued that Griffith’s presentation at the conference provided valuable knowledge to North Korea, a nation actively pursuing ways to evade sanctions and potentially fund its nuclear program.
As a result of his conviction, Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He was further asked to pay a $100 assessment and a criminal fine to the tune of $100,000. Now, his attorney, Glen Garrett McGorty, is arguing for a lighter sentence based on recently revised US sentencing guidelines.
These revisions include a key benefit for “zero-point” offenders. A zero-point offender is someone with minimal to no prior criminal history. Under the new guidelines, such defendants can qualify for a two-point reduction in their offense level. This reduction can significantly impact sentencing ranges.
“The defense respectfully requests the opportunity to provide the Court with updated information which would counsel toward a sentence no greater than the lowest end of the new Guidelines range – 51 months – if not lower,” McGorty wrote in his request to Judge Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York.
A two-point reduction could bring Griffith’s sentence down to as low as 51 months, potentially shaving off a year or more. The request hinges on Griffith qualifying as a “zero-point” offender, and his attorney argues that he meets this criteria.
In addition to the potential sentence reduction, Griffith is also facing a ten-year export privilege ban imposed by the US Department of Commerce in May 2023. This restricts his ability to participate in international business activities until April 2032. A court date for the resentencing hearing has not yet been set.
