U.S. Attorney Charges Griffith’s Partners For Conspiracy Against The United States

The Southern District of New York, through its Attorney General Damian Williams, has issued charges against two European nationals for allegedly conspiring to help North Korea evade U.S. sanctions.

The announcement was made in collaboration with Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General, and  Michael J. Driscoll, the Assistant Director in charge of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

According to the court document, the suspects, Alejandro Cao De Benos (47) and Christopher Emms (30) are from Spain and the United Kingdom respectively.

Both individuals have been accused of working with Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer and U.S. citizen who traveled to North Korea for a blockchain and crypto conference (DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference) in April 2019 and allegedly dished out information on how to launder money and avoid the U.S. sanctions.

Recall that Griffith recently pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate economic sanctions imposed on North Korea and teaching the people how to use cryptocurrency and blockchain to avoid sanctions.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:

“As alleged, Alejandro Cao de Benos and Christopher Emms conspired with Virgil Griffith, a cryptocurrency expert convicted of conspiring to violate economic sanctions imposed on North Korea, to teach and advise members of the North Korean government on cutting-edge cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, all for the purpose of evading U.S. sanctions meant to stop North Korea’s hostile nuclear ambitions.”

He further stated that the suspects allegedly provided information to North Korean officials relating to cryptocurrency use cases and how to successfully move assets anywhere in the world irrespective of any penalties put on the country.

Michael J. Driscoll also highlighted that the defendants are accused of offering financial services to North Korea, a direct breach of sanctions imposed against the country by the United States.

The duo also jointly planned and organized the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference and employed Griffith to provide crypto services for the benefit of the DPRK.

Virgil Griffith Sentenced to Prison with a $100k Fine

Earlier this month, Griffith was sentenced to more than five years in prison with a $100k fine for delivering a speech at the DPRK Cryptocurrency Conference that violates the United States law.