Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao has opposed the United States government’s efforts to block his return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be with his family while awaiting sentencing following his guilty plea.
In a court filing on November 23, Zhao’s lawyers argued that he should be allowed to leave the U.S. to return to the UAE, until his sentencing in February 2024. They firmly state that he has no intention of staying in UAE to evade his sentencing, despite the potential 18-month prison term.
“As Judge Tsuchida found, all the facts and circumstances amply demonstrate that Mr. Zhao poses no risk of flight and should be permitted to reside at home with his family in the UAE pending sentencing. The government’s motion should be denied.”Extract of court filing in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington. Source: CourtListener
Furthermore, Zhao’s lawyers argued that he has taken responsibility for his actions by flying over from the UAE to the U.S.
“His intent is to resolve this case and it would be illogical to take all of these material steps without the intent to appear for sentencing,” the filing noted.
On November 22, U.S. prosecutors submitted a court filing, contending that Zhao should be restricted from leaving the United States due to the perceived flight risk. They assert that if he opts not to return for sentencing from the UAE, ensuring his return would pose challenges for the government.
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This comes after Zhao agreed to step down as CEO of Binance amid pleading guilty to several charges levied by the Department of Justice (DoJ).
While the deal allows him to maintain his majority stake in Binance, he will not be allowed to hold an executive position at the crypto exchange.
The deal does not affect the pending litigation that Binance has against the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), however will resolve the company’s issues with the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
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Source: https://cointelegraph.com/news/changpeng-cz-zhao-us-government
