Skip to main content

Former Monero Developer Spagni Released From US Prison, Pledges to Address Fraud Allegations

Former Monero developer Riccardo Spagni has been released from a U.S. prison where he reportedly spent “sixty-one days in solitary confinement.” The developer’s release was prompted by the failure of South African authorities “to make a timely submission in support of an extradition request.”

South African Government Fails to Submit Extradition Documents

As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Spagni was arrested in the U.S. while en route to Mexico. His arrest by U.S. law enforcement had been made courtesy of a request by the South African government, which wants to extradite Spagni.

However, after South African authorities failed to submit the necessary documents for the extradition hearing, the U.S. court subsequently ordered Spagni’s release. With Spagni now out of prison, his legal representatives, according to a report, are now seeking to access the documents that were used to make the arrest.

“Spagni now seeks information already in the possession of the [US] Government, namely South Africa’s submission for provisional arrest,” the legal representatives explained.

Once obtained, the lawyers said this information will be used to “make an informed decision about waiving extradition while out of custody and determine if South Africa’s provisional arrest request cites an arrest warrant within the treaty.”

Spagni Planning to Return to South Africa

Meanwhile, Spagni also confirmed via his Twitter account that he was out of jail and is now working with his attorneys to find a solution for the fraud case. Spagni said in a tweet:

I am very pleased that the U.S. court has released me. I am actively working with my attorneys on a way to return to South Africa as soon as possible so I can address this matter and get it behind me once and for all. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do.

Spagni’s legal troubles started after his former employer, Cape Cookies, accused him of defrauding the company of an equivalent of $98,200. This offense is alleged to have occurred between October 1, 2009 and June 8, 2011, when Spagni was an employee of Cape Cookies.

After some delay, Spagni’s court appearances were finally scheduled for March 24 and April 19, 2021. However, before the commencement of the hearing, Spagni left South Africa for Bermuda, where he briefly stayed before leaving for the U.S. According to a report, Spagni and his wife are believed to have entered the U.S. on April 19, the same day he was scheduled to appear in court in South Africa.

It is this failure to attend a scheduled court hearing that prompted the South African government to lodge an extradition request with U.S. law enforcement.

What are your thoughts about this story? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.



from Bitcoin News https://ift.tt/3ADbEqz

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Mt Gox Creditors Updated, Trustee Says Rehabilitation Custodian Is ‘Currently Preparing to Make Repayments’

On August 31, 2022, the Mt Gox trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi explained in a recent letter that the rehabilitation custodian is “currently preparing to make repayments” to Mt Gox creditors. Trustee Updates Mt Gox Creditors — Repayment Date and Exchange Still Unknown Last week speculation and rumors concerning the release of 140K bitcoin ( BTC ) from Mt Gox littered social media platforms and headlines. Bitcoin.com News covered the situation six days ago as a number of people and Mt Gox creditors called the rumors “ fake news .” During that same period of time, a bitcoin whale transferred 10,000 BTC to unknown wallets, and a 2018 annotation , heuristics, and clustering methods show the funds likely originated from the June 2011 Mt Gox hacks. Following the mysterious whale transfer, last Wednesday, Mt Gox published an official update from the court trustee Nobuaki Kobayashi that explains the court is “currently preparing to make repayments” to creditors. Mt Gox creditors have been wait...

Fidelity Discusses Bitcoin as Portfolio Insurance — Could Soon Stand in ‘Stark Contrast’ to Path Fiat Currencies Take

Fidelity Digital Assets, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, says that bitcoin could be considered portfolio insurance. The firm notes that the cryptocurrency “may soon stand in stark contrast to the path that the rest of the world and fiat currencies may take — namely the path of increased supply, additional currency creation, and central bank balance sheet expansion.” Fidelity Says Bitcoin Could Be Portfolio Insurance Fidelity Digital Assets, a subsidiary of Fidelity Investments, recently published a research study titled “The Rising Dollar and Bitcoin.” The research outlines “how bitcoin could be considered portfolio insurance” as the rising dollar impacts global currency markets. “The strengthening U.S. dollar is wreaking havoc among other countries and may put pressure on the Federal Reserve to soon reverse its tightening monetary actions, something that has precedent based on 1985’s Plaza Accord,” Fidelity explained. In addition, “more monetary debasement may be needed to ...

Economists Discuss Russia, China Potentially Developing Gold-Backed Currency That Could Undermine US Dollar

Economists have weighed in on reports that China and Russia may be developing a new gold-backed currency that could undermine the U.S. dollar’s status as the world’s primary reserve currency. Russia and China May Be Developing Gold-Backed Currency Several experts have shared their views on Russia and China potentially creating a new gold-baked currency, Fox Business reported Saturday, emphasizing that China has been buying up huge quantities of gold while Russia was forced off the U.S. dollar due to sanctions imposed on the country following its invasion of Ukraine. The news outlet noted that some experts have cautioned that these moves, along with the closer relationship that has developed between Moscow and Beijing, point to the likelihood of China attempting to launch a gold-backed currency. However, neither Russia nor China has officially confirmed plans for such a currency. Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former U.S. diplomat,...