NEWS
27 November 2024
Pardon People Not Poultry
Dear Mr. President,
These individuals have gained valuable insight through their legal proceedings.
These proceedings occurred in the cryptocurrency industry, where clear business regulations have yet to be established. These people are ready to contribute to society right now. Please, grant them clemency!
#PardonPeopleNotPoultry
Pardon People Not Poultry
Dear Mr. President,
These individuals have gained valuable insight through their legal proceedings.
These proceedings occurred in the cryptocurrency industry, where clear business regulations have yet to be established. These people are ready to contribute to society right now. Please, grant them clemency!
- Virgil Griffith
- Roman Sterligov
- Ian Freeman
- Roman Storm
- Samuel Bankman-Fried & the FTX team (I saw him in MDC Brooklyn prison, and you could see in his eyes that he realized his mistake)
- Alexey Andryunin - GotBit
- Dmitry Vasiliev - Wex, detained in Poland
#PardonPeopleNotPoultry
21 November 2024
The Black Hole of American Justice
More than four months ago, I was released from the courtroom as a "free" man.
But that freedom didn’t last even a second.
Since July 19, I have been in immigration detention, and the FBI, as is often the case with them, “accidentally” lost my passport.
Timeline of Events:
July 19
I was transferred from federal prison to immigration detention.
I wanted to reunite with my family as soon as possible, and the quickest way for me was to request bail from the judge while awaiting my departure from the U.S.
August 8 — Bail Hearing
At the hearing, I asked the judge for release on bail. However, the judge decided that I posed a threat to society, even though the federal criminal process had only considered me a flight risk, as a foreigner with no ties in the U.S. But now, to keep me in detention, the judge claimed that my business was allegedly linked to human trafficking and the distribution of child imagery.
These accusations had no basis and were not part of the criminal case. Moreover, no one in the company could have imagined that it would ever be associated with such allegations. Yet, these were the judge's arguments for keeping me behind bars.
Since I wasn’t released on August 8, I could only appear before the judge again to request immediate departure from the U.S. at the next hearing on August 27.
August 27
At the new hearing, the same judge decided that I was "not dangerous enough to leave the U.S. voluntarily" and approved my request for voluntary departure.
“— the respondent was granted voluntary departure.”
All that remained was to wait for this decision to come into effect—usually just 30 days sitting in immigration detention.
September 20 — Motion to Reconsider
When the waiting period was nearly over, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed a motion to reconsider the case, citing the existence of an arrest warrant for me in France. A few days later, DHS also filed an appeal to block the previously approved voluntary departure.
The case then moved from the jurisdiction of the immigration judge to the appellate board.
September 25 — Motion to Remand
Despite the case already being in the hands of the appellate board, the judge submitted his own motion to reconsider the case, denied voluntary departure, and ordered forced deportation. However, this decision remains in limbo until the appeal is resolved.
For two months now, I’ve been waiting for the appellate board’s decision. There are no deadlines or clarity. Moreover, the question remains: if I am deported, where exactly will I be sent?
The American Justice System: A Profitable Business
Immigration and criminal prisons in the U.S. are commercial entities whose stocks are freely traded on the stock market. The inmates in these prisons are essentially livestock—a resource for generating profit. The government pays private prison companies for every inmate housed within their walls, so their interest is in keeping the "pastures" as full as possible for as long as possible.
My case is not unique. Documents here are lost very often, and on average, people wait 2-3 months, even from “prosperous” European countries. My story and my case are even profitable—shares of GEO Group (the prison network where I am currently detained) have doubled in value over the past month
The Black Hole of American Justice
More than four months ago, I was released from the courtroom as a "free" man.
But that freedom didn’t last even a second.
Since July 19, I have been in immigration detention, and the FBI, as is often the case with them, “accidentally” lost my passport.
Timeline of Events:
July 19
I was transferred from federal prison to immigration detention.
I wanted to reunite with my family as soon as possible, and the quickest way for me was to request bail from the judge while awaiting my departure from the U.S.
August 8 — Bail Hearing
At the hearing, I asked the judge for release on bail. However, the judge decided that I posed a threat to society, even though the federal criminal process had only considered me a flight risk, as a foreigner with no ties in the U.S. But now, to keep me in detention, the judge claimed that my business was allegedly linked to human trafficking and the distribution of child imagery.
These accusations had no basis and were not part of the criminal case. Moreover, no one in the company could have imagined that it would ever be associated with such allegations. Yet, these were the judge's arguments for keeping me behind bars.
Since I wasn’t released on August 8, I could only appear before the judge again to request immediate departure from the U.S. at the next hearing on August 27.
August 27
At the new hearing, the same judge decided that I was "not dangerous enough to leave the U.S. voluntarily" and approved my request for voluntary departure.
“— the respondent was granted voluntary departure.”
All that remained was to wait for this decision to come into effect—usually just 30 days sitting in immigration detention.
September 20 — Motion to Reconsider
When the waiting period was nearly over, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) filed a motion to reconsider the case, citing the existence of an arrest warrant for me in France. A few days later, DHS also filed an appeal to block the previously approved voluntary departure.
The case then moved from the jurisdiction of the immigration judge to the appellate board.
September 25 — Motion to Remand
Despite the case already being in the hands of the appellate board, the judge submitted his own motion to reconsider the case, denied voluntary departure, and ordered forced deportation. However, this decision remains in limbo until the appeal is resolved.
For two months now, I’ve been waiting for the appellate board’s decision. There are no deadlines or clarity. Moreover, the question remains: if I am deported, where exactly will I be sent?
The American Justice System: A Profitable Business
Immigration and criminal prisons in the U.S. are commercial entities whose stocks are freely traded on the stock market. The inmates in these prisons are essentially livestock—a resource for generating profit. The government pays private prison companies for every inmate housed within their walls, so their interest is in keeping the "pastures" as full as possible for as long as possible.
My case is not unique. Documents here are lost very often, and on average, people wait 2-3 months, even from “prosperous” European countries. My story and my case are even profitable—shares of GEO Group (the prison network where I am currently detained) have doubled in value over the past month
14 November 2024
They are after all of you—it’s only a matter of time.
Recently, Forbes published an article in which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reported 50,000 open cases involving various companies linked to money transfers, including cryptocurrency platforms. This highlights the scale of the work law enforcement agencies plan to undertake in the field of cryptocurrencies.
Four years of Trump’s presidency and his promising policies regarding cryptocurrencies will end, and the list of 50,000 companies will only grow. Against the backdrop of over 2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S., these 50,000 cases seem negligible. There’s enough room in American prisons for everyone.
They will watch closely and “earn their stripes” by any means. There’s no need to even visit the U.S. For example, the extradition of a video game developer from Georgia for eBay orders.
They are after all of you—it’s only a matter of time.
Recently, Forbes published an article in which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reported 50,000 open cases involving various companies linked to money transfers, including cryptocurrency platforms. This highlights the scale of the work law enforcement agencies plan to undertake in the field of cryptocurrencies.
Four years of Trump’s presidency and his promising policies regarding cryptocurrencies will end, and the list of 50,000 companies will only grow. Against the backdrop of over 2 million incarcerated individuals in the U.S., these 50,000 cases seem negligible. There’s enough room in American prisons for everyone.
They will watch closely and “earn their stripes” by any means. There’s no need to even visit the U.S. For example, the extradition of a video game developer from Georgia for eBay orders.
01 November 2024
A multitude of media outlets have published articles containing inaccurate information about me and my case. The U.S. prosecution presented figures and phrases taken out of context, crafted for sensational headlines about “real criminals.” However, these accusations were not substantiated with documentary evidence.
Various publications picked up this narrative, but not a single journalist took the time to delve into the situation or fact-check the claims.
My legal team has done an immense amount of work, and I intend to make all case materials publicly available. Legal documents are the primary sources of information. A sentencing memorandum, including a report by an independent crypto expert who audited the company’s activities, has already been published on the website. Additional investigative documents will also be made available there.
If you are a journalist and wish to understand the situation, please reach out:
Email: legkomedia@mm.st
Telegram: @legkodymov
A multitude of media outlets have published articles containing inaccurate information about me and my case. The U.S. prosecution presented figures and phrases taken out of context, crafted for sensational headlines about “real criminals.” However, these accusations were not substantiated with documentary evidence.
Various publications picked up this narrative, but not a single journalist took the time to delve into the situation or fact-check the claims.
My legal team has done an immense amount of work, and I intend to make all case materials publicly available. Legal documents are the primary sources of information. A sentencing memorandum, including a report by an independent crypto expert who audited the company’s activities, has already been published on the website. Additional investigative documents will also be made available there.
If you are a journalist and wish to understand the situation, please reach out:
Email: legkomedia@mm.st
Telegram: @legkodymov
17 October 2024
The investigation is over, and I’m waiting to be sent home (or to France), and I’m ready to share some thoughts on everything that’s happened. I’m still limited in communication and movement, so I don’t have a complete, clear picture of what’s going on. My information on many issues is fragmented.
Living almost two years without the internet in the world of IT and cryptocurrency is a disaster, and I have a sense that once I’m home, it’ll feel like I’ve traveled in a time machine to the future. In U.S. prisons, there’s no real access to magazines or newspapers, let alone digital media or internet communication. I’ll write a separate article about daily life and conditions in American prisons, but in short, they don’t meet the standards you’d find even in places like Morocco or Romania. I’ve spoken with others in here, so this comes straight from the source.
In the American prison, I had no way to stay in touch, communicate with my company, or make any decisions. I can responsibly say I’ve had no involvement in whatever the company has done over the past two years. I also have no connection to BitPhoenix or SmartSwap, which Anton Shkurenko is promoting on Bitzlato’s channels.
Additionally, when I was arrested, all company assets went to Anton Shkurenko and the other remaining employees and company founders, except for the funds seized by French authorities. I have no remaining material assets.
I may still hold registrations for some domains and Telegram bots, but I’ll only be able to confirm this once I return home. Beware of scammers who may still control certain company resources. I also don’t know who currently owns the registered Bitzlato trademark.
Six months before my arrest, I wanted to shut down the company in its existing form. I had already left my position as a founder of Bitzlato Ltd. Hong Kong, and from that point, I no longer held any rights or responsibilities for the company. Disagreements with Anton prevented us from closing the company immediately. But fate had other plans.
I have neither the ability nor the desire to audit what’s happened within the company over the past two years. I’ll leave that to the current owners and management.
I wish the current management success in closing down the company and paying out any remaining funds to the extent possible. From what I understand, all users who reached out to the company within nine months after operations were halted received compensation. I consider that a good outcome. Nine months is a generous period for users to make claims and receive their funds. Plus, reimbursement in crypto is unusual—most companies don’t operate this way. Users’ funds multiplied many times over during those nine months. I hope everyone is satisfied.
In the near future, I’ll be posting more to shed light on key aspects of my case and other issues I’ve encountered.
The investigation is over, and I’m waiting to be sent home (or to France), and I’m ready to share some thoughts on everything that’s happened. I’m still limited in communication and movement, so I don’t have a complete, clear picture of what’s going on. My information on many issues is fragmented.
Living almost two years without the internet in the world of IT and cryptocurrency is a disaster, and I have a sense that once I’m home, it’ll feel like I’ve traveled in a time machine to the future. In U.S. prisons, there’s no real access to magazines or newspapers, let alone digital media or internet communication. I’ll write a separate article about daily life and conditions in American prisons, but in short, they don’t meet the standards you’d find even in places like Morocco or Romania. I’ve spoken with others in here, so this comes straight from the source.
In the American prison, I had no way to stay in touch, communicate with my company, or make any decisions. I can responsibly say I’ve had no involvement in whatever the company has done over the past two years. I also have no connection to BitPhoenix or SmartSwap, which Anton Shkurenko is promoting on Bitzlato’s channels.
Additionally, when I was arrested, all company assets went to Anton Shkurenko and the other remaining employees and company founders, except for the funds seized by French authorities. I have no remaining material assets.
I may still hold registrations for some domains and Telegram bots, but I’ll only be able to confirm this once I return home. Beware of scammers who may still control certain company resources. I also don’t know who currently owns the registered Bitzlato trademark.
Six months before my arrest, I wanted to shut down the company in its existing form. I had already left my position as a founder of Bitzlato Ltd. Hong Kong, and from that point, I no longer held any rights or responsibilities for the company. Disagreements with Anton prevented us from closing the company immediately. But fate had other plans.
I have neither the ability nor the desire to audit what’s happened within the company over the past two years. I’ll leave that to the current owners and management.
I wish the current management success in closing down the company and paying out any remaining funds to the extent possible. From what I understand, all users who reached out to the company within nine months after operations were halted received compensation. I consider that a good outcome. Nine months is a generous period for users to make claims and receive their funds. Plus, reimbursement in crypto is unusual—most companies don’t operate this way. Users’ funds multiplied many times over during those nine months. I hope everyone is satisfied.
In the near future, I’ll be posting more to shed light on key aspects of my case and other issues I’ve encountered.
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