Terraform Labs founder and former fugitive Do Kwon is currently facing an uncertain future as he awaits likely indictment for alleged document forgery in a Montenegro jail.

A criminal defense lawyer in the country has informed Protos that Kwon will soon be transferred to a detention area with only 8 square meters, about 10 people, and no beds. The lawyer believes that it will take at least a year to reach an extradition agreement, and the probability of extradition to South Korea is higher.

Montenegro jails and prisons have a reputation for grim conditions of overcrowding and aggressive treatment by staff, as highlighted in a 2020 human rights report by the US Department of State. The lawyer confirmed that “things haven’t changed since the report.” Upon arrest, detainees are held in quarantine for 10 days to ensure they are not suffering from Covid-19.

The rooms during quarantine are reportedly okay, with only one or two people sharing. However, detainees are moved to a general facility after the quarantine period, where the conditions are far worse. Rooms are small, overcrowded, and there are no beds. Detainees are granted a 30-minute “walk around the block” each day and can buy basic goods like cigarettes and coffee from the commissary.

Extradition proceedings have already commenced, as both South Korea and the US have filed their criminal charges against Kwon. However, hopes of a speedy extradition to countries with friendlier prison conditions, such as South Korea or the US, are likely to be dashed.

The criminal defense lawyer told Protos that they think it will be “at least a year” before any extradition agreements can be made. Kwon will first be tried in Montenegrin court for his criminal charges there, which can take around four to five months. If he is found guilty, he may face a prison sentence of six months to five years. Appeals can take at least three to four months, and if an appeal to the higher court fails, Kwon can only appeal to the Supreme Court after serving one year of his sentence.

Kwon denies all charges and has already filed an appeal. However, the appeal is likely to fail, according to the lawyer who spoke to Protos. Kwon will then appeal to the higher court in Montenegro, which can take three to four months. It doesn’t stop the sentencing from being carried out in the meantime. It looks like Kwon will have to get used to the local prison conditions for the foreseeable future.

#Dokwon #LUNA #Terra #Kwon #azcoinnews

This article was republished from azcoinnews.com

Swiss authorities have reportedly frozen $26 million worth of assets from #Terraform Labs and its founder, former crypto billionaire Do Kwon.

The assets frozen included #Bitcoin (BTC), and was frozen from Swiss digital asset bank Sygnum, reports Korean outlet Digital Asset.

Sygnum froze the assets after Swiss authorities received requests from the New York Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The frozen assets reportedly belong to Kwon, his associate Hang Chang-joon and former head of research at Terraform Labs Nicholas Platias.

Earlier this month, South Korean prosecutors alleged that Kwon had moved $29 million worth of crypto assets out of Terraform Labs’ possession after his arrest in Montenegro.

#Kwon has already spent more than three months of a four-month prison sentence in Montenegro for using a forged Costa Rican passport, though the relatively short sentence likely won’t be the end of the Terra founder’s problems.

Authorities in the United States and South Korea both want to extradite the disgraced crypto executive, who’s facing multiple charges arising from the $40 billion crash of the #Terra ecosystem and its stablecoin #TerraUSD (UST).

Dan Sunghan, the director of the financial crime investigation bureau at the Seoul Southern District Prosecution Service, recently told Bloomberg that Kwon could serve more than four decades behind bars, after being responsible for what is believed to be the largest financial fraud case in South Korean history.

Do Kwon, the founder of Terraform Laboratories and a key figure in the Terra-Luna coin debacle, was recently photographed leaving a Montenegrin court in handcuffs.

A rare video obtained by journalist Isabel Hunter shows Kwon and Terraform CFO Han Chang-joon being handcuffed and escorted separately to a police car.

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This comes just one day after South Korean officials confirmed Kwon’s detention in Montenegro. According to CNN, Interpol confirmed Kwon’s arrest through a fingerprint match.

Following the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin and Luna token last May, Kwon was charged with violating South Korean financial rules. The highly publicized entrepreneur has been on the run since September when a Seoul court issued an arrest order, and Interpol issued him a red alert.

Last May, Luna, and the TerraUSD stablecoin lost their value in a matter of days, wiping out around $40 billion from the crypto market and kicking off the 2022 crypto winter.

Kwon was charged with fraud and violating South Korea’s capital markets law. He has consistently stated on Twitter that he is not “on the run” but has refused to reveal his current location. Kwon was allegedly hiding in Serbia before his detention in Montenegro.

#Dokwon #Terra #LUNA #Kwon #azcoinnews

This article was republished from azcoinnews.com