Charlie Shrem, former CEO of BitInstant, Bitcoin evangelist, and former vice-chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation, has entered a plea bargain with the state of New York, which he hopes will allow him to avoid a prison sentence.
Under the new deal, Shrem will plead guilty to “unlicensed money transmission”, a charge which is significantly less than the more serious charges of drug trafficking and financing terrorism.
While the bargain doesn’t necessarily mean Shrem will walk free, it’s a far more optimistic situation than before.
The End Of An Era
This gives Shrem new hope that he will be able to move on with his life and put this ordeal behind him.
Shrem’s plea bargain is the culmination of a stressful year for him, including a violent and unexpected arrest in January at JFK Airport, some time in custody, and several months of house arrest.
Going forward, Shrem plans to continue his work with Payza, and also posted this on Twitter:
I hope to be partying at @ErikVoorhees wedding next month 
RT @CharlieShrem excellent news to start the weekend! When’s the party?
— Charlie Shrem (@CharlieShrem) August 29, 2014
Public Opinion
Despite criminal charges levied against him, Shrem has enjoyed support from the Bitcoin community.
One commentor on The CoinFront said “Charlie is the Keith Richards of bitcoin … and bitcoin is the New Rock ‘n Roll!”
Those in the Bitcoin community are often skeptical of the authorities, but regardless many feel that the circumstances under which Shrem was arrested were dubious at best.
Do you believe Charlie Shrem is innocent or guilty? Do you trust him? Leave a comment below!
Charlie Shrem Reaches Plea Deal
No comments:
Post a Comment