In New York, Anton and James Peraire-Bueno are petitioning a Manhattan court, seeking to prevent the prosecution from presenting their Google search history as evidence during their upcoming trial.
The brothers submitted a legal request on August 22, arguing that the internet searches occurred during communications with legal counsel and shouldn’t be interpreted as proof of criminal intent. Noteworthy searches included terms like “leading cryptocurrency attorneys” and “statute of limitations for wire fraud offenses”.
Judge Jessica G.L. Clarke is now tasked with determining if these digital footprints suggest culpability or simply represent legitimate efforts to seek legal advice following the commencement of an investigation.
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The charges stem from an incident in April of the prior year, where the brothers allegedly took advantage of the
Subsequently, prosecutors filed charges the following year, including conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering. Each accusation carries a potential prison sentence of up to 20 years.
Court documents indicate that the brothers sought legal counsel after receiving “threats from anonymous sandwich attackers” who demanded the return of the funds. Their legal representatives assert that privilege logs demonstrate a clear correlation between the internet searches and communications with their attorneys.
Defense attorneys contend that the prosecution cannot definitively link the searches to the purported theft. They also emphasize the absence of witnesses who can provide context for the searches. The brothers stated:
The searches themselves provide no such definitive connection.
In other news, law enforcement in Thailand apprehended a 33-year-old South Korean national suspected of converting virtual currency into gold to support a criminal network. Want the details? Get the complete story here..