The New York prosecutor's office accuses the Spaniard Cao de Benós and a Briton for helping North Korea to evade sanctions

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justice

accused this Monday in absentia the Spanish

and the English

of conspiring to

international sanctions with a cryptocurrency system.

Cao de Benós, a 47-year-old Spanish activist and North Korea's unofficial ambassador to

and Emms, 30, who

face a 20-year prison sentence.

Both

who pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced on April 12 to

and fined $100,000 for "providing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology services" in violation of sanctions imposed for United States to North Korea for its nuclear program.

The three

on cutting-edge cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, according to a statement from the prosecution.

Emms reportedly told North Korean officials that cryptocurrency technology allows "money to be transferred between any country in the world regardless of any sanctions or fines imposed on the country," according to the indictment.

"The sanctions imposed on North Korea are essential to protecting the security of Americans, and we continue to strengthen them with our partners both here and abroad,"

in a statement.

In early 2018, Cao de Benós, founder of the

a

and Emms, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, teamed up to host a

in the North Korean capital.

The pair enlisted Griffith to help with the conference and arranged a trip to North Korea for him in April 2019 for that purpose despite US sanctions.

Cao de Benós, who has North Korean nationality, made arrangements for Pyongyang to approve his participation in the conference and Emms confirmed that the authorities "would not stamp his passport" so as not to leave a trace of his trip.

At the conference, both Emms and Griffith provided information to the North Korean government on the use of technology to launder money and circumvent sanctions.

Following the conference, both Cao de Benós and Emms continued, along with Griffith, to provide additional services to North Korea, in particular

and equipment within the country, as well as the hiring of staff to advise North Korea.

North Korean authorities.

As part of these services, the three men planned a second conference in 2020 but

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