Aria DiMezzo, a 36-year-old anarchist and founder of the Reformed Satanic Church of Keene, New Hampshire, was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in prison for operating a money transmitting business without a license.
DiMezzo, along with five other libertarian activists – Ian Freeman (formerly Ian Bernard), Nobody (formerly Rich Paul), Renee Spinella, Andy Spinella, and Colleen Fordham – are known as the “Crypto 6,” who were all involved with operating businesses in which customers would use their platforms to convert U.S. dollars to bitcoin.
In April 2022, the Spinellas and Nobody pleaded guilty to wire fraud. Andrew Spinella received 18 months probation and a $600 fine, Renee Spinella got three years supervised release and $2,000 fines, and Nobody was sentenced to two years supervised release and time already served.
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Charges against Colleen Fordham were dropped, and Freeman will be the last of the Crypto 6 to be sentenced.
In December 2022, Freeman was found guilty of money laundering, conspiracy to launder money, operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business and four counts of tax evasion. His sentencing is scheduled for July 17.
Inside the U.S. Federal Court House in Concord, New Hampshire, approximately 35 people came to support DiMezzo during her sentencing – Freeman among them.
“Aria is an amazing person who has a ton of good people in her life who support her,” Freeman said.
DiMezzo and her attorney Richard Guerriero were pushing for a one-year home confinement sentence, arguing the only wrongdoing was not having a license, which is why she pleaded guilty only to that charge.
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Federal prosecutors argued DiMezzo should receive 30-37 months in prison, citing the sentencing guidelines for the nature of the crime. Prosecutors also showed a video clip of DiMezzo giving a presentation about how to sell bitcoin and instructing viewers not to ask about why someone might want to buy it. They argued this video proved her actions were “more aggravated than simply not getting a license.”
DiMezzo gave a statement regarding her belief in financial privacy, saying she did not believe what she was doing was illegal or harming anyone being scammed.
Regarding her statement about financial privacy, Judge Joseph Leplante said, “It doesn’t really matter, the harm is still the harm.”
In addition to the 18 month sentence, DiMezzo forfeited $14,000 and almost two bitcoin, worth about $55,000. She was also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and will have a one-year supervised release after serving her sentence.
DiMezzo's supporters were hugging and crying after the decision.
Andrea Madison, general manager of Domino’s in Keene, where DiMezzo works as an assistant general manager, was in tears.
“It hurts,” Madison said. “We’re losing a very dear friend for 18 months, so it’s a big deal.”
DiMezzo lives in Keene. In 2020, she ran as a Republican candidate for Cheshire County Sheriff and in 2022 for the New Hampshire House of Representatives for Cheshire County District 1.
She is also associated with the Free State Project, a political migration of 20,000 libertarians to New Hampshire, although she did not officially sign the pledge to be a part of the movement. She was featured in NBC10 Boston’s original docuseries, “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire,” which tells the story of the Crypto 6 in Episode 10.
Supporters and friends of DiMezzo took a group photo outside the courthouse Tuesday, with many of them wearing “Free the Crypto 6” T-shirts with the phrase, “Bitcoin is not a crime.”
DiMezzo said she does not plan to appeal the sentence, which is set to begin on June 27.
“I’ve been having this hanging over my head for more than two years,” she said. “I’m ready to be done with it.”
