OneCoin Greenwood Cited Mafia Case to Keep Letters Sealed, Approved After No DOJ Position

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast Filing

SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 7 -- For money laundering for scam crypto currency OneCoin, lawyer Mark Scott was convicted by a jury after testimony by Konstantin Ignatov and others but was allowed to remain free on bail pending sentencing.

On April 11, 2023, Judge Ramos heard argument on, then denied, Sebastian Greenwood's argument that non-US losses should be excluded from his sentencing. Inner City Press was there and exclusively live tweeted, here (vlog here)

On May 10, 2023, Greenwood's counsel wrote in, asking for sentencing after Labor Day - letter on Patreon here.

On May 15, Greenwood got the extension, to September 12.

On August 29, Greenwood's new lawyers from Patterson Belknap (and two already on the case counsel) filed a 55-page sentencing submission, redacting even the name of a case they cited and withholding an undisclosed number of exhibits. (They left in Greenwood's "MDC Transcript," now on Patreon here). They ask for time served. They quote "Karl's former driver in Thailand" - but redact the quote, and withhold the entire affidavit. This is unacceptable --

so Inner City Press filed to unseal. Judge Ramos  docketed it on August 30, and asked for response by September 6. That afternoon, Greenwood's counsel wrote in but did no provide a single unsealed document. Response here.

Inner City Press immediately replied, noting that
"[t]he Response provides not a single additional document but rather cites a single (Mafia) case from the White Plains courthouse.    Notably in that case the US Attorney's Office supported sealing to avoid "violent retribution by a criminal organization" which "expressly disavows cooperation with law enforcement and demands violent retaliation against informants." US v. Pasqua, 16-cr-591 (NSR) Dkt  41 at 13, 3. 

  It is not clear which analogy Greenwood's counsel seeks to make: that OneCoin and his co-founder are linked with organized crime, or that victims of OneCoin's fraud should not know who is supporting a time served sentence for Greenwood. The latter should be rejected, and Greenwood has not assisted the prosecution or victims.     So the analogy and ostensible precedent should be rejected, and the submissions unsealed." Reply here.

After that, the US Attorney's Office filed a letter that it "takes no position" on the sealing - and, apparently, on the analogy of OneCoin victims to the Mob. And on September 7, the sealing of all of Greenwood's letters of support was approved. Watch this site.

Watch this site.

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