Department of Justice Announces Arrest of United States Citizen for Assisting North Korea in Evading Sanctions

By justice.gov on December 2, 2019

The Department of Justice announced the unsealing of a criminal complaint charging Virgil Griffith, a United States citizen, with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by traveling to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (“DPRK” or “North Korea”) in order deliver a presentation and technical advice on using cryptocurrency and blockchain technology to evade sanctions. Griffith was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 and was presented in federal court in Los Angeles Friday, Nov. 29, 2019.

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