Thursday, July 16, 2015

Charges Against Colorado Bitcoin Trader Dismissed

An indictment against a Colorado bitcoin trader, Burt Wagner, has been dismissed "without prejudice" by a district court judge.

Wagner had been charged for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business in the state of Colorado in late 2014.

At the Department of Justice's request, Judge William J Martinez issued an order to dismiss the case this Monday.

An indictment, which is voted by a grand jury, informs the accused of the allegations against them so they can plan a defence. The charge in question must then be proved at trial.

The question of whether money transmission laws apply to bitcoin traders remains a grey legal area, with LocalBitcoins user Pascal Reid recently losing a bid to dismiss money transmitter charges in Florida.

Wagner faced up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if found guilty. The trader's family have raised over £12,000 in donations, including bitcoin, to fight the allegations. Their outstanding legal debts alone are said to total $95,000.

ColoradoCrimeLocalBitcoins

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