#Write2Earn #TrendingTopic #BTC Prosecutors want Binance’s CZ kept on tighter leash ahead of sentencing
U.S. prosecutors Friday asked a judge to tighten the bond conditions of billionaire Binance
founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao as he awaits his April sentencing for breaking a federal anti-money laundering law, court filings show.
Zhao pleaded guilty in late November to a charge of failure to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act, and stepped down as Binance’s CEO at the same time.
Under the proposed bond, Zhao would be required to provide prosecutors and pretrial services with at least three days’ notice before any travel within the country, to give them time to raise any potential objections.
The new bond conditions would also order Zhao to surrender his current Canadian passport, and they would bar him from applying for a new one without the court’s permission. He would also be barred from changing his place of residence without prior approval.
Zhao’s lawyers objected to the proposal, according to the filing. An attorney for Zhao did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Judge Richard Jones barred Zhao from traveling outside the United States in mid-December, after determining that Zhao’s “enormous wealth” and lack of U.S. ties created a risk that he might flee if allowed to return to his home in the United Arab Emirates.