Virgil Griffith, a former Ethereum developer, has filed a request for a reduction in his prison sentence. Griffith was sentenced to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine in April 2022 for aiding North Korea in utilizing blockchain technology, which violated U.S. sanctions laws. His attorney, Glen Garrett McGorty, sent a letter to Judge Kevin Castel of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on April 17, seeking a revision of Griffith’s sentence based on recent changes to U.S. sentencing guidelines.
The letter argues that Griffith should be considered a “zero-point” offender and therefore eligible for a two-point reduction in his offense level. This reduction would change his total offense level from 26 to 24, resulting in a revised guidelines range of 51 to 63 months. In other words, his sentence could be reduced by at least a year. The defense requests that the court instruct the U.S. Probation Office to prepare a revised pre-sentence investigation report, schedule a resentencing hearing, and allow for a briefing schedule to present updated information and arguments in support of the reduction request.
A “zero-point” offender refers to a first-time, non-violent offender who meets specific criteria indicating a lower risk of reoffending compared to other criminals. In addition to his prison sentence, Griffith was also subjected to a 10-year ban on exporting privileges imposed by the U.S. Department of Commerce in May 2023. This ban prohibited him from engaging in any transactions involving commodities, software, or technology falling under U.S. export regulations.