The former Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith’s lawyers have claimed that he is still unaware of the exact crimes the U.S. government is charging him with. In their latest court filing, the defendants claimed that the prosecutors have been intentionally vague with their charges. In their motion, which they filed at the Southern District of New York, the lawyers stated that the defense should not be forced to use a decoder ring on over 6,800 pages to discern the basic information that should be present in every indictment.
“The indictment failed to provide with the most basic information.”
The prosecutors’ indictment has failed to provide the most basic information – what crimes were actually alleged to have been committed, by whom, and where, Virgil’s lawyers claimed. They are requesting the court to order the prosecutors to provide a bill of particulars regarding the offenses their client is alleged to have committed. In their charges, the prosecutors accused Griffith of offering ‘services’ to the South Korean government that violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The lawyers argue that the term ‘services’ is vague.
Virgil Griffith is accused of helping North Korea evade sanctions.
In November last year, the former Ethereum Developer was arrested for allegedly helping the North Korean regime evade sanctions using cryptocurrency and blockchain. Virgil Griffith had attended a seminar in North Korea where he talked about blockchain, and on that basis, he was arrested in the United States. He was granted bail shortly after his arrest, but the U.S. government named him in a 608-page indictment. As reported earlier, In October 2020, Griffith’s lawyers filed a motion for dismissal of charges, claiming the indictment was fatally flawed. The prosecutors fought back a month later, urging the court to dismiss his lawyers’ motion.
