Coined the "Internet Man of Mystery," Virgil Griffith certainly knows a thing or two about blockchain technologies and the cryptocurrencies that frequent these nodes of access, probably more than most. Beyond his aforementioned tagline, yet another widely utilized description pits Griffith as a "cult hacker," according to New York Times Magazine published all the way back in 2008.
He is now facing some incredibly momentous charges under the state of New York for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. In layman's terms, Griffith is purported to have aided North Korea in understanding and building cryptocurrency throughlines to allow the country access to funds and other means outside of US-imposed regulations.
The 39-year-old former Ethereum Foundation cryptocurrency scientist pleaded guilty to said charges back in September of last year following a plea deal made with prosecutors that would see his potential 20 year sentence axed to six and a half years. Griffith even asked for a lighter sentence of only two years, but US District Judge P. Kevin Castel denied this request with a haughty explainer that Griffith's actions were of "a deliberate, willful intent to violate the sanctions regime."
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The defendant explicitly showed these ideals in attending a blockchain and cryptocurrency conference held in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, back in 2019 explicitly against the wishes of several key individuals and organizations, mainly the US State Department as well as close family and co-workers. Amid the event, several photographs displayed in court on Tuesday showed Griffith detailing ways to convert North Korean won into crypto on a whiteboard that featured the words "No sanctions yay" next to a smiley face.
Griffith would be arrested in November of 2019 on the grounds of aiding the North Korean regime with sanctions evading tactics and money laundering schemes. Following his plea deal, Griffith has remained in federal custody since July of last year. Castel expressed concerns that Griffith's cryptocurrency assets might give him the ability and the wherewithal to potentially leave the country. Thus his bail was revoked.
In his defense, attorneys sought to paint Griffith as having various personality disorders, specifically being afflicted by narcissistic personality disorder and obsessive personality disorder, of which aided in the defendant's obsession with North Korea. These ideas left in him an aching and burning feeling to seek peace.
In a letter sent to the federal judge prior to his sentencing, Griffith relays, "I love my country and did not set out to do anything to harm it." Unfortunately for him, however, Castel would sentence him to a total of 63 months in prison.
