US authorities charge two foreigners in conspiracy to aid North Korea

Spanish citizen Alejandro Cao de Benós and British national Christopher Emms have been charged in a case tied to former Ethereum Foundation researcher Virgil Griffith. The information is stated in a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

The foreigners allegedly conspired with the developer to provide North Korean authorities with information on how cryptocurrency could be used to evade sanctions.

According to the department, 47-year-old Cao de Benós and 30-year-old Emms served as organizers of a blockchain conference in Pyongyang. They hired Griffith as a cryptocurrency expert and helped him attend the event in April 2019.

Griffith was arrested in November of the same year. He was later charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

In January 2020, the developer was released on bond secured by real estate belonging to his sister and parents worth $1 million; in 2021 he was returned to custody.

In September 2021 Griffith pleaded guilty. In April 2022, he was sentenced to 63 months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

The Justice Department said that Cao de Benós and Emms “took steps” to conceal their activities and Griffith’s role. They were charged with conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions.

The maximum penalty under this statute is 20 years in prison. According to the press release, the defendants remain at large.

In April, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the FBI and the U.S. Treasury warned of North Korean hackers targeting the cryptocurrency industry.

According to a Chainalysis report, in 2021 North Korean cybercriminals carried out at least seven attacks on cryptocurrency platforms, during which they stole digital assets worth about $400 million.

Earlier, the UN said that North Korea funds the development of its nuclear programs through attacks on Bitcoin exchanges.

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