By LARRY NEUMEISTER
NEW YORK (AP) — South Korean cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon pleaded guilty on Tuesday to two fraud charges arising from the $40 billion collapse of a cryptocurrency ecosystem that had promised investors their money was safe.
Kwon, 33, dubbed by some as “the cryptocurrency king,” entered the plea in Manhattan federal court.
According to a plea agreement signed by Kwon and prosecutors, the government said it will not seek a prison term of more than 12 years as long as Kwon complies with the deal’s terms, even though federal sentencing guidelines would have recommended a prison term of about 25 years. Sentencing is set for Dec. 11.
Authorities said investors worldwide lost money in the Singapore crypto firm Terraform Labs’ $40 billion cryptocurrency crash. Kwon co-founde