幣安前首席執(zhí)行官趙長鵬的律師堅稱,這位加密貨幣億萬富翁沒有潛逃的風(fēng)險。司法部卻不這么認為。
上周二,美國政府宣布對幣安及其負責(zé)人提起刑事指控。這家全球最大的加密貨幣交易所同意支付43億美元的罰款,這是企業(yè)史上最大的罰款之一。該公司對涉嫌洗錢、違反美國制裁的指控認罪,但避免了“死刑判決”,并被允許繼續(xù)運營。
據(jù)美國當(dāng)局稱,幣安沒有報告與被美國稱為恐怖組織的組織進行的10萬多筆可疑交易,其中包括哈馬斯、基地組織和伊拉克和敘利亞伊斯蘭國。他們補充說,該公司還通過讓“暗網(wǎng)”人員和勒索軟件黑客在該平臺上進行操作來非法獲利。
當(dāng)《財富》雜志就和解協(xié)議聯(lián)系幣安時,幣安的一位發(fā)言人分享了一篇博客文章,其中部分內(nèi)容是:“這些決議承認我們公司對歷史上違反合規(guī)計劃的犯罪行為負有責(zé)任,并允許我們能夠結(jié)束充滿挑戰(zhàn)但又具有變革意義的學(xué)習(xí)和成長篇章?!?/p>
至于趙長鵬,這位億萬富翁同意辭去首席執(zhí)行官一職,并支付5000萬美元的罰款,他還承認未能防止洗錢。他將于2月23日被判刑,面臨長達10年的監(jiān)禁,但根據(jù)認罪協(xié)議,預(yù)計刑期不會超過18個月。
趙長鵬是加拿大和阿拉伯聯(lián)合酋長國公民,他希望在宣判前返回他位于阿聯(lián)酋的住所,他的律師說他想讓伴侶和三個孩子為判決做好準(zhǔn)備。但檢察官警告稱,如果他決定永遠不回來,美國政府可能無法確保他返回美國,因為美國與阿聯(lián)酋沒有引渡條約——而且這位億萬富翁擁有“巨額資產(chǎn)”。
司法部律師說:“在絕大多數(shù)案件中,一位身價數(shù)十億美元的被告如果認罪,可能面臨牢獄之災(zāi),而且居住在一個不向美國引渡其公民的國家,那么該被告將被拘留。”
美國司法部在一份簡報中表示,雖然司法部建議趙長鵬在宣判前保持自由,但這是因為司法部認為旅行限制可以降低他的潛逃風(fēng)險。但上周二,地方法官布萊恩·津田不顧司法部的反對,設(shè)定了允許這位幣安創(chuàng)始人離開美國的保釋條件。
上周三,司法部要求美國地區(qū)法官理查德·瓊斯撤銷這些保釋條件。第二天,趙長鵬的律師要求他不要這樣做,并指出他們的當(dāng)事人自愿來到美國,為自己的行為承擔(dān)責(zé)任。瓊斯預(yù)計將在周一對此事作出裁決。
與此同時,幣安本周宣布,其區(qū)域市場全球主管理查德·騰(Richard Teng)將接替趙長鵬擔(dān)任首席執(zhí)行官。理查德·騰在推特上表示,除了“讓用戶放心”之外,他的工作重點將是“與監(jiān)管機構(gòu)合作”。
至于趙長鵬,他在上周二發(fā)帖稱:“接下來我要做什么?我先休息一下。我沒有一天能夠真正(關(guān)機)休息。”
他的量刑和推定的監(jiān)禁時間將如何影響這一切還有待觀察。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
幣安前首席執(zhí)行官趙長鵬的律師堅稱,這位加密貨幣億萬富翁沒有潛逃的風(fēng)險。司法部卻不這么認為。
上周二,美國政府宣布對幣安及其負責(zé)人提起刑事指控。這家全球最大的加密貨幣交易所同意支付43億美元的罰款,這是企業(yè)史上最大的罰款之一。該公司對涉嫌洗錢、違反美國制裁的指控認罪,但避免了“死刑判決”,并被允許繼續(xù)運營。
據(jù)美國當(dāng)局稱,幣安沒有報告與被美國稱為恐怖組織的組織進行的10萬多筆可疑交易,其中包括哈馬斯、基地組織和伊拉克和敘利亞伊斯蘭國。他們補充說,該公司還通過讓“暗網(wǎng)”人員和勒索軟件黑客在該平臺上進行操作來非法獲利。
當(dāng)《財富》雜志就和解協(xié)議聯(lián)系幣安時,幣安的一位發(fā)言人分享了一篇博客文章,其中部分內(nèi)容是:“這些決議承認我們公司對歷史上違反合規(guī)計劃的犯罪行為負有責(zé)任,并允許我們能夠結(jié)束充滿挑戰(zhàn)但又具有變革意義的學(xué)習(xí)和成長篇章?!?/p>
至于趙長鵬,這位億萬富翁同意辭去首席執(zhí)行官一職,并支付5000萬美元的罰款,他還承認未能防止洗錢。他將于2月23日被判刑,面臨長達10年的監(jiān)禁,但根據(jù)認罪協(xié)議,預(yù)計刑期不會超過18個月。
趙長鵬是加拿大和阿拉伯聯(lián)合酋長國公民,他希望在宣判前返回他位于阿聯(lián)酋的住所,他的律師說他想讓伴侶和三個孩子為判決做好準(zhǔn)備。但檢察官警告稱,如果他決定永遠不回來,美國政府可能無法確保他返回美國,因為美國與阿聯(lián)酋沒有引渡條約——而且這位億萬富翁擁有“巨額資產(chǎn)”。
司法部律師說:“在絕大多數(shù)案件中,一位身價數(shù)十億美元的被告如果認罪,可能面臨牢獄之災(zāi),而且居住在一個不向美國引渡其公民的國家,那么該被告將被拘留?!?/p>
美國司法部在一份簡報中表示,雖然司法部建議趙長鵬在宣判前保持自由,但這是因為司法部認為旅行限制可以降低他的潛逃風(fēng)險。但上周二,地方法官布萊恩·津田不顧司法部的反對,設(shè)定了允許這位幣安創(chuàng)始人離開美國的保釋條件。
上周三,司法部要求美國地區(qū)法官理查德·瓊斯撤銷這些保釋條件。第二天,趙長鵬的律師要求他不要這樣做,并指出他們的當(dāng)事人自愿來到美國,為自己的行為承擔(dān)責(zé)任。瓊斯預(yù)計將在周一對此事作出裁決。
與此同時,幣安本周宣布,其區(qū)域市場全球主管理查德·騰(Richard Teng)將接替趙長鵬擔(dān)任首席執(zhí)行官。理查德·騰在推特上表示,除了“讓用戶放心”之外,他的工作重點將是“與監(jiān)管機構(gòu)合作”。
至于趙長鵬,他在上周二發(fā)帖稱:“接下來我要做什么?我先休息一下。我沒有一天能夠真正(關(guān)機)休息?!?/p>
他的量刑和推定的監(jiān)禁時間將如何影響這一切還有待觀察。(財富中文網(wǎng))
譯者:中慧言-王芳
The lawyers for former Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao insist the crypto billionaire is not a flight risk. The Justice Department isn’t so sure.
On Tuesday, the U.S. government announced criminal charges against Binance and its leader. The world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange agreed to pay $4.3 billion in penalties, among the largest fines in corporate history. It also pleaded guilty to anti-money laundering and U.S. sanctions violations. But it avoided a death sentence and will be allowed to continue operating.
Binance failed to report over 100,000 suspicious transactions with organizations the U.S. described as terrorist groups, among them Hamas, al Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, according to U.S. authorities. And it illegally profited by letting “darknet” actors and ransomware hackers operate on the platform, they added.
When contacted by Fortune about the settlement, a spokesperson for Binance shared a blog post reading in part: “These resolutions acknowledge our company’s responsibility for historical, criminal compliance violations, and allow our company to turn the page on a challenging yet transformative chapter of learning and growth.”
As for Zhao, the billionaire agreed to step down as CEO and pay a $50 million fine, and he pleaded guilty to failure to protect against money laundering. Scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 23, he faces up to a decade in prison but under a plea deal is expected to get no more than 18 months.
Zhao, a citizen of Canada and the United Arab Emirates, hopes to travel to his home in the UAE ahead of the sentencing, with his lawyers saying he wants to prepare his partner and three children for his sentencing. But if he decides to never come back, prosecutors warned on Wednesday, the U.S. government might be unable to secure his return because it has no extradition treaty with the UAE—and the billionaire has “significant assets,” it noted.
“In the vast majority of cases, a multi-billionaire defendant who has pleaded guilty, faces possible prison time, and lives in a country that does not extradite its citizens to the United States would be detained,” said Justice Department lawyers.
The DOJ said in a brief on Friday that while it recommended Zhao remain free before sentencing, that was because it believed travel restrictions could make him less of a flight risk. Instead, on Tuesday magistrate judge Brian Tsuchida set bail conditions, over DOJ objections, that allow for the Binance founder to leave the U.S.
On Wednesday, the Justice Department asked U.S. district judge Richard Jones to reverse those bail conditions. The following day, Zhao’s lawyers asked him not to, noting that their client voluntarily came to the U.S. to accept responsibility for his actions. Jones is expected to rule on the matter by Monday.
Meanwhile Binance this week announced that Richard Teng, its global head of regional markets, would replace Zhao as CEO. Teng tweeted that his focus would be on “collaborating with regulators” in addition to “reassuring users.”
As for Zhao, he posted on Tuesday: “What’s next for me? I will take a break first. I have not had a single day of real (phone off) break for the last 6 and half years.”
How his sentencing and presumed jail time plays into that remains to be seen.