Changpeng Zhao may not leave the US pending court review, says judge

Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who pleaded guilty to one felony charge as part of a settlement with the United States Department of Justice involving crypto exchange Binance, may not be permitted to leave the country as he awaits sentencing.

According to a Nov. 27 filing in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington at Seattle, Judge Richard Jones stayed a decision by a magistrate judge that would have allowed CZ to return to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has a home and family members. The judge ordered that CZ would not be permitted to travel to the UAE until a court ruled on a motion from the U.S. government on the matter.

Zhao stepped down as CEO of Binance on Nov. 21 as part of a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice, in which he pleaded guilty to one felony charge and agreed to pay $150 million to regulators. The agreement largely allowed the crypto exchange to avoid additional charges in exchange for roughly $4.3 billion in penalties.

This is a developing story, and further information will be added as it becomes available.