Officials from the United States Justice Department have penned a letter opposing former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith’s plea to reduce his 2022 sentence for violating sanctions on North Korea.
In a legal filing dated June 17 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams argued against Griffith’s motion to decrease his sentence to as little as 51 months. Griffith, sentenced to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine in April 2022, is expected to be released in January 2026, factoring in his time served before the sentencing.
Williams stated, “Griffith made the conscious decision to bypass his country’s sanctions to offer services to a hostile foreign power, specifically assisting in the use of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to evade U.S. and United Nations sanctions. He did so despite being aware of North Korea’s human rights violations and threats against the United States, including nuclear capabilities.”
Griffith had spoken at a cryptocurrency and blockchain conference in Pyongyang in 2019, advocating for the use of crypto to circumvent sanctions and engage in money laundering. His legal team argued in court that he suffered from obsessive-compulsive and narcissistic personality disorders, fueling his fixation with the reclusive nation.
Prosecutors also revealed that Griffith had faced disciplinary actions at the Federal Correctional Institution in Michigan for minor infractions, including an attempt to steal soap and tea.
In April, Griffith’s lawyers sought a revision of his sentence based on updated U.S. sentencing guidelines post-conviction. The new guidelines could potentially reduce his prison term from 63 to 78 months to 51 to 63 months, making him eligible for release in January 2025.
During his sentencing in April 2022, Griffith claimed to have overcome his obsession with North Korea, citing the sanctions imposed on Russia following its attack on Ukraine as a wake-up call. Judge Kevin Castel remarked that Griffith lacked a consistent ideology and was likely to adapt based on the situation.
Griffith’s legal team is expected to respond to the U.S. government’s letter within two weeks. Regardless of the outcome, the U.S. Department of Commerce has already placed a 10-year export ban on Griffith, restricting his involvement in transactions related to commodities, software, or technology until 2032.