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US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

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Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#401

Post by haltingproblem »

danielvf wrote: post #71

According to the original complaint, a few months after being interviewed by an FBI agent on returning from his trip to North Korea, Griffith had the following conversation over text messages: Griffith: I need to send 1 [REDACTED UNIT OF CRYPTOCURRENCY] between North and South Korea. Other Guy: "Isn't that in violations of sanctions?" Griffith: It is. A few day later, also in text messages to someone else: Someone: W…

I speculate, that there are plenty of North Koreans living in South Korea and perhaps even the US who send funds to the family members in N. Korea. Are they all guilty of evading sanctions regime and can be sentenced to prison? Does this extend to any country that does trade with North Korea? North Korea has a pretty advanced missile program and actively trades in them with many countries including those which are not un-friendly to the US.

I don't know how this makes sense for just making an presentation. On the other hand, I don't know how the Feds will let him get away with sending 1 [REDACTED UNIT OF CRYPTO] between N and S Korea. You cant stop Pakistan or Iran from trading with N. Korea but you can stop an ordinary American. We live in a weird world.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#402

Post by imchillyb »

The warrior sliced off yet another head. The Hydra wailed and spat its venom, taking scarce notice of the loss. Another head was already growing in its place.

Punishment avails only when the lucrative prospect of crime is diminished by said punishment.

The US government is attempting to slay Hydras with a spoon.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#403

Post by dmitrygr »

Delitio wrote: post #374
dmitrygr wrote: post #358

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sanctions have never ever in human history worked, so more like sabotaging one's placebos...

Do you have any sources for this?

Fidel Castro, Kim jong Il, and Vladimir Putin.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#404

Post by BobbyJo »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #381
BobbyJo wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They don't bring about regime change, They don't impose hardship on the despots, and they don't take away nuclear capability from North Korea. They haven't yet brought about regime change, They haven't yet imposed hardship on the despots, and they haven't yet taken away nuclear capability from North Korea. The point is, the world needs regime change, in order to be safer (dictators with Nukes are a very dangerous t…

Strong disagree. Sanctions prevent economic development and change. Constant application of pressure and tensions ensure that the risk is higher than it otherwise would be. Risk will always be highest if one country insist on destroying the government of another.

> Strong disagree. Sanctions prevent economic development and change. Constant application of pressure and tensions ensure that the risk is higher than it otherwise would be.

It would be startlingly easy for NK to get the sanctions lifted if the wellbeing of its people mattered to it's government more than the continuity of its power. If they lived up to the D in DPRK and stopped crushing its people's access to information they'd be gone overnight. So blaming the sanctions for stopping change or development is disingenuous. Sanctions are just an exclusion from participation in global trade, which NK seem to want no part of anyway (outside of weapons development).

Also, what risk is raised by the sanctions?

They keep the risk of war low, as NK knows it couldn't financially support any kind of drawn out conflict.

They keep the risk from advanced weapons low, as NK is less able to advance their weapons technology.

Sanctions are a nonviolent defensive weapon.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#405

Post by af78 »

dahdum wrote: post #314
tomatowurst wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm no lawyer but I can only dream that they might find more stuff to throw the book at him but somehow i doubt this. How you go and help a country that your own country is at war with, starves women and children, sends a prisoner's entire family to prison camps for three generations where do all sorts of horrible things and spend only 5 years in prison. People have been sent to prison far longer just because they ha…

The sanctions are intended to exacerbate the destitution and starvation in North Korea in order to provoke political upheaval. They are also just the current strategy, and have been ineffective from a humanitarian perspective. I wouldn’t undermine them personally, but I understand how a rational person could come to believe it was even a moral obligation to do so.

Quoting one of the lawyers who helped draft sanctions law:

https://freekorea.us/sanctions-nkspea-faq/

""" Section 207 of the NKSPEA contains broad exemptions for food imports and humanitarian aid, and provides for waivers for humanitarian reasons, or when a waiver is important to the national security or economic interests of the United States. The Treasury Department has also published general licenses permitting humanitarian aid. """

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#406

Post by BobbyJo »

tradertef wrote: post #375
timmytokyo wrote: post #309

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand this response. Are you arguing that it's therefore justifiable to do what Griffith did? If not, please try to justify it without resorting to whataboutism.

No, it is not justifying what he did. According to US law, he is clearly at fault. However, pointing out NK atrocities to have him morally wrong is not appropriate. With that logic, we should be also approving Iran or NK punishment of their citizens when they work with US.

> However, pointing out NK atrocities to have him morally wrong is not appropriate. With that logic, we should be also approving Iran or NK punishment of their citizens when they work with US.

Tht logic only holds if you believe the governments of the US, NK, and Iran are all equally just and legitimate.

If you believe that, I have some crypto that might interest you...

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#407

Post by [deleted] »

chatmasta wrote: post #48

I met Virgil at an academic workshop back in 2014. We went out in Amsterdam. He was a weird guy, to say the least (he’d probably be the first to agree). He was generally quite affable and obviously highly intelligent. He’s an idiot for this fiasco. But it’s also sad to see him in jail; I don’t see how this benefits society in any way. Five years in prison seems like a disproportionate punishment for an arguably victi…

[deleted]

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#408

Post by jnwatson »

s1artibartfast wrote: post #134
behringer wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Imagine knowing literally anything about north Korea and wanting to help that government. He should be put away for life for aiding crimes against humanity.

You can know that North Korean government does bad things but still be against sanctions. It is not self evident that broad sections help the situation or the people of NK.

You can be against sanctions without actively supporting an enemy of the state.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#409

Post by djsdlkfjgdkjg »

bell-cot wrote: post #206
danielvf wrote: post #71

According to the original complaint, a few months after being interviewed by an FBI agent on returning from his trip to North Korea, Griffith had the following conversation over text messages: Griffith: I need to send 1 [REDACTED UNIT OF CRYPTOCURRENCY] between North and South Korea. Other Guy: "Isn't that in violations of sanctions?" Griffith: It is. A few day later, also in text messages to someone else: Someone: W…

How far down the "flew 8,000 miles to get there, climbed over the barbed wire fence, licked both his thumbs, and pressed them against the shiny parts labeled 'DANGER! 25,000 VOLTS!'..." rabbit-hole-of-stupid should one have to go, before it's 100% okay for me to stop caring whether or not his sentence was just?

Right? Anyone can see this case have too much evidence.

you don't need two brain cells to see that either A) guy was a dumbdumb and nothing he said could have been better than leaning it on tiktok with a dance on top; or B) he knows the stuff and would never say something as dumb as this.

...My guess is that they didn't even had to fabricate this. Having access to all digital data from someone for years, they could probably find that conversation on my grandma's facebook memes if they wanted to frame her instead.

Re: US sentences crypto expert to 5 years after North Korea blockchain presentation

#410

Post by tbrownaw »

babypuncher wrote: post #341
rbanffy wrote: post #265

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> as a means of settling disputes As a means of forcing someone to unwillingly settle a dispute in your favor that is. I have no sympathy for North Korea, but sanctions are not an alternative to war. Sanctions are an alternative to bullets.

Sabotaging your own military's weapons still sounds an awful lot like treason

I think we'd have to be in an actual formally declared war with someone first.
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