US prosecutors ask judge to approve Binance plea deal US prosecutors ask judge to approve Binance plea deal
The prosecutors are justifying the historic $4.3 billion penalty saying Binance willfully violated the laws, led by senior executives.
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Updated: Feb. 17, 2024 at 4:36 pm UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
US prosecutors filed a sentencing memo on Feb. 16 asking a federal judge to sign off on the Binance plea deal, Bloomberg News reported.
In November 2023, Binance and its former CEO Changpeng Zhao (CZ) pled guilty to charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.
Deal justified
The plea deal entails Binance paying one of the largest criminal penalties in US history, amounting to $4.3 billion. The plea deal also requires that Binance be monitored for five years to ensure compliance with regulations.
Prosecutors said the historic penalty was justified, given that Binance intentionally violated laws and made the financial system vulnerable. Binance refused to register as a money service business and failed to implement safeguards against money laundering, the prosecutors said.
According to the prosecution, these actions left Binance and its customers “vulnerable to those who seek to exploit” the US financial system. The prosecutors added that the penalties are warranted, stating:
“Given the nature and seriousness of Binance’s misconduct — it was intentional and led by senior executives, with hundreds of millions of dollars of collateral consequences.”
Illicit financial flows
According to the Treasury Department’s November press release announcing the plea deal, Binance’s lapses allowed terrorist groups to transact on the platform. This includes Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al Qaeda, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The platform also facilitated transactions of websites devoted to selling child sexual abuse materials as well as hackers and scammers, according to the settlement.
CZ, who is currently on a $175 million bail, was scheduled for criminal sentencing later this month. However, a federal court recently postponed his sentencing to late April.
Zhao faces up to 10 years in prison but may receive no more than 18 months under the plea deal. He has also agreed to pay a $50 million fine.
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Monika Ghosh
In 2020, Monika immersed herself in crypto, maintaining skepticism yet firmly believing blockchain could address key issues like financial disparity and transparency. A book-lover, she's also a passionate food enthusiast.
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Binance
Binance is a global cryptocurrency exchange that provides a platform for trading more than 100 cryptocurrencies.
Changpeng Zhao, popularly known as “CZ,” is a notable figure in the cryptocurrency world, primarily for founding and leading Binance, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume.