🔴🔴🔴CZ’s sentencing hearing details will be updated below:
1. CZ just walked in, wearing what looks like a deep blue suit and sporting his trademark buzzcut. Both teams of attorneys are also present.
2. Hearing delayed to 9:30am PT.
3. Judge doesn’t agree with DOJ's request for an enhancement to the sentencing guidelines that would push the sentence from 18 months to 3 years:
“There’s no evidence that the defendant was ever informed [of illegal activity]."
4. DOJ attorney suggested that court could make inference about CZ's knowledge of illegal activities.
5. Judge mostly agrees with Probation Office and their recommendation of a total level 12 offense, which would lead to 10-16 month prison term and 1-3 years of supervised release.
6. DOJ attorney said CZ deliberately tried to tap US financial system:
"Violating the law was integral to that endeavor; we're not guessing here, Mr Zhao said that himself - ask for forgiveness, not permission."
7. Judge noted DOJ is asking for 2x of sentencing guidelines; DOJ responded no single defendant has been responsible for so much.
8. Probation department recommends custodial sentence of 5 months, which they feel is enough to deter defendant and others “without being unnecessarily harsh.”
9. CZ’s lawyer: There is some secret “compelling factor” the court should consider