Kim Dotcom Vows to Fight US Extradition Order

Cryptocurrency entrepreneur Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, will be extradited from Montenegro to South Korea, according to a decision by the Montenegro court. The court confirmed that Kwon, known as 'the cryptocurrency king,' will face charges of fraud in South Korea. Both South Korea and the US had requested Kwon's extradition, with a Montenegrin court initially ruling in favor of the US. However, the decision was later overturned in favor of South Korea by the Appeals Court of Montenegro. Kwon's lawyer in Montenegro, Goran Rodic, expressed contentment with the court's decision. Kwon was arrested in Montenegro last year and is accused of being involved in a $40 billion crash of Terraform Labs' cryptocurrency. He and another South Korean individual were apprehended while attempting to travel to Dubai using fake Costa Rican passports. Kwon and five others connected to Terraform are wanted on charges of fraud and financial crimes related to the collapse of its digital currencies in May 2022 [be5d4e02].

Meanwhile, in a separate extradition dispute, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has criticized Oregon for failing to extradite Juan Jose-Sebastian, a man wanted on charges of rape and sexual abuse. The Martin County sheriff in Florida detained Jose-Sebastian for a minor offense and reached out to Washington County officials to request extradition. However, Oregon declined the request, leading to criticism from Governor DeSantis. The Washington County District Attorney's Office claims to have had no communication with anyone from Florida, including the governor's office. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's office responded by stating that they approved the extradition warrant and the process is underway. It is unclear whether Jose-Sebastian is currently in Florida or Oregon [a0f1d8f9].

Rapper Sean Kingston and his mother, Janice Turner, have been indicted on multiple counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges. The charges stem from a fraudulent scheme exceeding $1 million, involving specialty vehicles, luxury jewelry, and other high-value items. The indictment includes one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and five counts of wire fraud. Kingston, already under probation for trafficking stolen property, was arrested in May. Their next federal court appearance is scheduled for August 9 [6b8d89a3].

In another arrest related to fraud charges, rapper Sean Kingston was arrested in California after a SWAT team raided his rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Footage obtained by TMZ shows the moment cops were waiting for Sean Kingston after his concert to take him into custody [3ad5236a]. The raid resulted in the seizure of numerous items. Kingston and his mother have been accused of committing over a million dollars in fraud, including theft of money, jewelry, a Cadillac Escalade, and furniture. Arrest warrants have been released for Kingston and his mother, who are facing charges of conducting an organized scheme to defraud, grand theft, identity theft, and other related offenses. They were taken into custody following the SWAT team raid on Kingston's rented mansion in Fort Lauderdale. Kingston was apprehended at Fort Irwin, an Army training base in California, where he was scheduled to perform. Kingston is currently detained in a California jail awaiting extradition back to Florida. Kingston has claimed innocence and stated that his lawyers are handling the situation. His mother is being held at the Broward County jail on $160,000 bond. The attorney representing Kingston and his mother has mentioned that Kingston would willingly return to Florida if permitted, saving the state expenses associated with extradition and travel costs [742b9e6e].

In a separate incident, US rapper Wiz Khalifa was arrested for drug possession at the Untold Festival in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The arrest took place at the music festival, and Khalifa was released shortly after. The exact date of the arrest is not mentioned in the article. The specific drugs involved in the arrest are not mentioned either. Videos posted on social media show Khalifa being escorted from the venue by Romanian authorities. He was found to have possessed more than 18 grams of cannabis and consumed another quantity on stage. Cannabis is considered a 'risk drug' in Romania, and possession is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The investigation is ongoing [8b44f6bf].

New Zealand-based tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has vowed to fight the order for his extradition to the US on fraud and money laundering charges. Dotcom, the founder of the Megaupload file-sharing system, faces charges that could result in up to 20 years in jail. He has long fought extradition, claiming he is being persecuted for political reasons and advocating for internet freedom. Dotcom's website, Megaupload, was shut down in 2012 after a raid on his Auckland mansion by New Zealand police at the request of the FBI. US prosecutors allege that Megaupload facilitated widespread piracy, costing rights holders over $500 million [37550813].