#ChangpengZhao could serve time in the same facility as ‘crypto-anarchist’ Jim Bell
A U.S. federal prisons expert has cautioned that the former CEO of Binance, if convicted and incarcerated, could be vulnerable to "theft and extortion" from fellow inmates.
Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, the ex-CEO, has petitioned a federal judge to consider probation following his guilty plea to money laundering charges. His legal team has presented multiple declarations in support of this request, including one proposing that he serve any potential sentence at the Federal Detention Center (FDC) SeaTac in Washington.
In a filing dated April 23 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, Robert Palmquist indicated it was highly likely that Zhao would be housed at FDC SeaTac if sentenced to prison. Palmquist, who served as warden at the facility from 2003 to 2009, described it as having minimal natural light and being understaffed given its inmate population.
Palmquist expressed concerns that Zhao's wealth and public status would make him a target for threats to his physical and mental well-being, including theft and extortion. He noted that Zhao's lack of experience with the prison system and financial resources could make him vulnerable to manipulation by other inmates.
FDC SeaTac, located just south of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and housing 794 inmates according to its website, has previously held individuals such as a Proud Boys member charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack and Jim Bell, a 'crypto-anarchist' charged with tax evasion in the 1990s related to 'Assassination Politics': a concept promoting anonymous payments for individuals to order the killing of government officials.
Zhao's lawyers submitted letters from supporters in plea for leniency, as U.S. guidelines suggest a 12 to 18-month sentence for the charge. Prosecutors, however, seek a three-year prison term and a $50 million fine.
Source - cointelegraph.com
