Protection legal professionals have requested a choose to condemn the particular person accountable for serving to put up a pretend message asserting regulatory approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds to roughly a yr in jail, countering prosecutors’ request for a two-year sentence.
In a Might 13 submitting within the US District Courtroom for the District of Columbia, Eric Council Jr.’s authorized group requested that he be sentenced to no multiple yr and in the future in jail following his responsible plea.
Council was a part of a bunch that took management of the US Securities and Change Fee’s (SEC’s) X account in 2024 by means of a SIM swap assault, posting a message that steered the regulator had authorised spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded fund listings for the primary time.
“A sentence of twelve months and in the future serves the ends of justice,” mentioned the Might 13 submitting. “It sufficiently punishes the defendant for his function on this case. It additionally promotes respect for the regulation and deters future felony conduct.”
Council initially pleaded not responsible to the costs, however modified his plea to responsible in February on one rely of conspiracy to commit aggravated identification theft and entry machine fraud. The choose overseeing the case, Amy Berman Jackson, additionally ordered prosecutors to “determine the felony and level to the place that data might be discovered within the document” by Might 13.
Jail sentence between 1 and a couple of years?
The SEC hacker is scheduled to be sentenced on Might 16. Prosecutors requested the choose to impose a two-year sentence on Council, saying he “profited by means of a classy fraud scheme.” Courtroom filings showed he earned roughly $50,000 by means of related SIM swap assaults.
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Although Council’s case was seemingly winding down along with his upcoming sentencing listening to, the DC courtroom district may quickly be below new management, probably affecting the prosecution of crypto-related instances. On Might 8, US President Donald Trump introduced that Fox Information host Jeanine Pirro would grow to be the interim US legal professional for the District of Columbia.
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