According to Cointelegraph, Binance founder and former CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao was released from a U.S. federal prison on September 27 after serving a four-month sentence for violating U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, a spokesperson for the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons told Cointelegraph.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice on Nov. 21, CZ pleaded guilty in November to federal charges for failing to implement adequate AML controls at Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. He resigned as CEO of Binance as a result.

CZ’s net worth is estimated at $60 billion, making him the wealthiest person serving a prison sentence in the United States.

In April, CZ agreed to return to the United States from Dubai to serve a four-month sentence. He spent the first two months in a minimum-security prison in Southern California before being transferred to a halfway house in Long Beach, where he was allowed supervised day outings, the report noted.

“We are happy that CZ is back home with his family,” a Binance spokesperson told CoinDesk, adding:

“While he no longer manages or operates Binance, we look forward to seeing his next moves. Since last year, Binance has continued to thrive under the leadership of our existing team and has surpassed 230 million users worldwide.”

CZ's four-month sentence was significantly lower than the 36 months originally requested by the U.S. Department of Justice, which was intended to "reflect the seriousness of the crime."

According to an official statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, CZ’s guilty plea included not only AML violations, but also unlicensed money transmission and sanctions violations.

“Zhao knew that his decision not to implement an effective AML program would result in Binance facilitating transactions between U.S. users and users in Iran and other sanctioned countries and regions in violation of U.S. law,” prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

At an April 30 hearing, Seattle District Court Judge Richard Jones explained the decision on the four-month sentence by saying there was no evidence that CZ was informed of any illegal activity at Binance.

CZ agreed to pay a $50 million fine as part of his case last November, while Binance also paid a $4.3 billion fine for violating AML laws in the U.S. However, CZ’s personal wealth has not been affected by the case.

The founders of Binance continue to hold a majority stake in Binance, with an estimated 90% stake in the exchange.