A U.S. district court has altered the bail conditions for cryptocurrency exchange Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, mandating him to surrender his Canadian passport.
Zhao previously pleaded guilty to breaking the Bank Secrecy Act and agreed to a hefty fine, securing release on $175 million bail. Zhao is now required to surrender all passports, past and present, to a designated person.
This individual, hired by Zhao’s legal team, will accompany him on trips requiring a passport. Zhao can only obtain new travel documents with court approval and must inform authorities of his movements.
In December, Judge Richard A. Jones prohibited Zhao from leaving the U.S. until a verdict is reached, citing concerns about his considerable assets, ties to the UAE, and the absence of an extradition treaty.
The sentencing, initially set for March, has been rescheduled for April 30, with reasons for the delay undisclosed. Zhao faces a potential 18-month prison term for money laundering violations. Former U.S. SEC employee John Reed Stark suggests the Justice Department will push for a harsher penalty.
The alteration of bail conditions for Changpeng Zhao, mandating him to surrender his Canadian passport, reflects a necessary step in ensuring accountability and compliance with legal proceedings in light of his guilty plea to breaking the Bank Secrecy Act.
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