by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
EDNY COURTHOUSE, May 21 – On November 2, 2023 SafeMoon's trio were indicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Inner City Press covered it.
Prosecutors charged Braden John Karony, Kyle Nagy, and Thomas Smith with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy for their roles in defrauding investors in a decentralized finance digital asset called “SafeMoon” Earlier today, Karony was arrested in Provo, Utah...
On November 3, Smith was arraigned, bond document on Patreon here ....
On November 8, EDNY prosecutors wrote "seeking the detention of the defendant Braden John Karony." Full memo on Patreon here.
But Karony was ordered free on bond, by Magistrate Daphne A. Oberg (whose previous freeing of January 6 defendant John Earle Sullivan Inner City Press previously covered here). The EDNY prosecutors have written to the assigned District Judge to appeal / seek a stay, 6-page letter on Patreon here.
On Sunday November 12 Karony's lawyers wrote in that "without more, every U.S. citizen facing criminal charges in the digital asset space would be detained through trial, in effect establishing an unrebuttable crypto presumption." Full letter on Patreon here.
On November 13, Inner City Press live tweeted the bail appeal in which Karony was ordered detained and to be brought to EDNY, thread
On November 22, Karony's lawyers filed - Letter on Patreon here.
On November 27, the prosecutors replied that transport will take the time it takes, and there is no basis for release. Letter on Patreon here.
In February, Karony was given a new free lawyer and a $3 million bond package - but the co-signers are confidential, unlike what Inner City Press unsealed as to SBF in SDNY.
Inner City Press on February 17 filed a letter to unseal the co-signers - on February 22 Judge Komitee to his credit had it docketed. But nothing happened (?)
Jump cut to April 29, 2025 when Magistrate Judge Cho held a conference on the jury selection he will run on May 5 (same time as US v. Sean Combs in SDNY), thread.
On May 21, "a federal jury convicted
Braden John Karony on all counts of a three-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. The charges arose from the defendant’s and his co-conspirators’ roles in defrauding investors in a decentralized finance digital asset called “SafeMoon,” issued by their company SafeMoon LLC."
Inner City Press is following the case(s)
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