Charlie Shrem to Forfeit $950k to US Government in Plea Bargain
Further details have emerged of former BitInstant CEO Charlie Shrem's plea bargain with US authorities, which saw him plead guilty to aiding and abetting an unlicensed money-transmitting business on 4th Sept. Reuters reported that both Shrem and Robert Faiella, a co-conspirator who pleaded guilty separately, both agreed to forfeit $950,000 to the government as a condition of their deals. According to the New York Times, Shrem entered his plea in an unwavering voice, appearing "stoic" and calm - a departure from his usually charismatic presence. "I knew that what I was doing was wrong. I am....
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Bitcoin entrepreneur and former BitInstant CEO Charlie Shrem hopes to walk free after striking a deal to plead guilty to 'unlicensed money transmission' in New York. For Shrem, it's the end of seven months of house arrest, restrictions on movement and uncertainty. The plea bargain is a step down from prosecutors' original charges and strong statements, which also included money laundering and conspiracy and failing to file suspicious activity reports with government banking authorities, relating to former online black marketplace Silk Road. Shrem told CoinDesk he had faced a penalty of up....
Last week, reports began crossing the wires indicating that Charlie Shrem was slated to plead guilty to charges of unlicensed money transmitting. His co-conspirator, Mr. Robert Faiella, planned a similar move. We're now learning from wire service Reuters that both men have pleaded guilty as planned at a hearing on Thursday, which came a little over two weeks before a trial was scheduled to take place on the 22nd of September. Shrem acknowledges that he facilitated the conversion of U. S. dollars into bitcoin in order to assist individuals obtain narcotics from the Silk Road marketplace.....
Former BitInstant CEO and Bitcoin Foundation board member Charlie Shrem was sentenced this afternoon to two years in prison after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. Shrem will also serve three years of supervised release in addition to the prison sentence. Judge Jed Rakoff, who presided over the case, rejected the defense's plea for probation only, but stopped short of imposing a harsher sentence based on the charges at hand. Shrem acknowledged the illegality of his actions, stating in court: "I have no excuses for what I did.....
Editor's Note: Charlie Shrem has responded publicly by clarifying that he has not been banned from any conferences. A misreading of events caused by verbiage which CCN profusely apologizes for initially printing. Shrem has responded to CCN inquiries from earlier today and will release a full statement on the happenings soon. CCN wishes Charlie Shrem the best of luck in his 9/22/14 trial, his case has been previously written about here. Charlie Shrem's favorite picture of Charlie Shrem. Embattled former Bitcoin Foundation member Charlie Shrem has faced his share of legal trouble with the....
Charlie Shrem was formally indicted on April 10th. Three months ago, Charlie Shrem, the former Vice Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation and CEO of the now-defunct BitInstant, was arrested in New York on charges of money laundering and acting as an unlicensed money transmitter. The allegations against Shrem were that he laundered over $1 million in bitcoins for users of Silk Road - the illegal online drug marketplace that was shut down by the FBI back in October 2013, and that he wilfully neglected to report unlawful transactions that were conducted through BitInstant by Robert Faiella, a....