US judge signs off on Binance, former chief's plea deals with DOJ -court filings

FILE PHOTO: Zhao Changpeng, founder and chief executive officer of Binance speaks during an event in Athens, Greece, November 25, 2022. REUTERS/Costas Baltas/File Photo

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. District Judge Richard Jones in Seattle on Wednesday signed off on plea deals agreed by U.S. prosecutors, Binance Holdings and its former chief Changpeng Zhao, according to court documents.

In November, Binance agreed to pay over $4.3 billion and pleaded guilty to breaking U.S. anti-money laundering and sanctions laws. Zhao also pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing in February.

(Reporting by Chris Prentice)