Do Kwon Sentenced To Prison In Montenegro After Attempting To Flee Country: Extradition Could Come Next

Zinger Key Points
  • Do Kwon and Han Chang-Joon sentenced to four months in prison in Montenegro.
  • Kwon and Han had been on the run for six months before arrest.

A Montenegro court handed down prison sentences to Do Kwon, founder of the Terra LUNA/USD blockchain, and Terra executive Han Chang-Joon for attempting to flee the country using counterfeit Costa Rican passports.

The incident, which took place in March, saw the duo trying to board a private jet.

The verdict came on Monday in Podgorica, the capital city of Montenegro, and was closely followed by local media outlets.

The pair were found guilty and have each been sentenced to a four-month prison term.

Do Kwon denied the accusations in court Friday.

He maintained his innocence, stating that he had procured the Costa Rican passport via an agency based in Singapore.

"I believed that was a legitimate 'golden passport' available to affluent applicants who fast track their way to citizenship in certain nations," Kwon said. 

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The court was not convinced by his defense.

Kwon and Han had been eluding the authorities for half a year before their arrest at the VIP lounge in Podgorica Airport.

It was a vigilant border guard who spotted irregularities in their documents and raised the alarm.

Kwon is also wanted in the United States and South Korea.

The U.S. authorities have leveled fraud allegations against him concerning Terra's staggering $60-billion collapse in May 2022. 

Similarly, South Korean officials are keen on prosecuting Kwon and Han on analogous charges.

While they serve their sentences in Montenegro, the possibility of extradition to the U.S. and South Korea looms large.

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Photo via Shutterstock. 

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Posted In: CryptocurrencyNewsLegalTop StoriesMarketsDo KwonMontenegroSouth Korea
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