Bitcoin Fog founder argues 30-year sentence ‘vastly exceeds’ similar cases
Bitcoin Fog founder argues 30-One year sentence ‘vastly exceeds’ an identical circumstances Bitcoin Fog founder argues 30-One year sentence ‘vastly exceeds’ an identical circumstances
The protection argued that sentence is disproportionately excessive consequently of the "cumulative fabricate" of a total lot of enhancements that punish diversified facets of the identical habits.
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Roman Sterlingov, the particular person at the motivate of the crypto mixer Bitcoin Fog, is contesting a doable 30-One year detention middle sentence following his conviction on several money laundering costs.
In a 37-internet page sentencing memorandum submitted to the US District Court docket for the District of Columbia, Sterlingov’s protection group contends that the urged sentences of 30 and two decades by the prosecution and Probation Achieve of job, respectively, “vastly exceed” the penalties imposed in an identical circumstances.
The protection argued that these ideas are disproportionately excessive consequently of the “cumulative fabricate” of a total lot of enhancements that punish diversified facets of the identical habits â particularly, working a super-scale money laundering operation.
Laundering conviction
Sterlingov used to be convicted earlier this One year on extra than one counts linked to running Bitcoin Fog, a carrier that allegedly facilitated the laundering of over $47 million in prison proceeds.
The federal government has portrayed him as a central figure in a elaborate plan that allowed customers to anonymize Bitcoin transactions, successfully making it sophisticated for legislation enforcement to trace illegal actions equivalent to drug trafficking and other prison enterprises.
Prosecutors alleged that Bitcoin Fog, which Sterlingov operated from 2011 to 2021, used to be extinct to launder roughly $400 million in Bitcoin linked to illegal actions equivalent to drug trafficking, identity theft, and cybercrime.
Resolve Randolph Moss, who is overseeing the case, originally scheduled Sterlingov’s sentencing for Aug. 21. Nonetheless, the court will now first hear arguments concerning the federal government’s efforts to lift resources tied to Bitcoin Fog, in conjunction with 1,354 Bitcoin that occupy remained dormant since 2012 and a doable $395 million monetary judgment.
Circumstantial evidence
Nonetheless, Sterlingov’s attorneys argued that the case in opposition to him relied intently on circumstantial evidence, noting that key facets equivalent to the Bitcoin Fog server, server logs, inner most keys, or ledger had been never entered into evidence all over the trial.
The protection emphasised that he has no prior prison history and has led an in every other case exemplary existence. It also asserted that the jury’s verdict aligns extra with helping and abetting in preference to with out extend working the Bitcoin Fog operation, suggesting that Sterlingov’s position used to be less central than prosecutors occupy portrayed.
The protection further argued that the sentencing pointers, which may maybe well perchance be intently influenced by the buck quantities alive to within the offense, develop no longer accurately replicate Sterlingov’s culpability.
It contended that the pointers’ focus on the associated price of the laundered funds is misplaced in this case, because it fails to chronicle for the undeniable truth that Sterlingov didn't for my portion income from the transactions and that most of the funds passed thru Bitcoin Fog with out his affirm involvement.
Assad Jafri
AJ, a passionate journalist since Yemen's 2011 Arab Spring, has honed his skills worldwide for over a decade. That concentrate on monetary journalism, he now focuses on crypto reporting.
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