"At this stage, we are cohering to the sentencing, which is scheduled to be in January 2025. But I still cannot guarantee the specific date, which was ordered, because adjournments are very common," Bukh said on Thursday.
The US government has accused Vinnik of enabling criminal activity through the cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e by obscuring and anonymizing transactions and sources of funds. A US court issued a filing setting up January 17, 2025 as the sentencing date.
Bukh expressed hope that an adjournment - if it happens at all - will not last very long.
The defense and the government are arguing about different factors that could affect the sentencing, such as the number of victims, potential losses and the use of foreign jurisdictions.
"Hopefully, all those issues will be mutually resolved so that we do not get a contested sentencing," Bukh said.
With respect to consular access to Vinnik, Bukh highlighted that Russian diplomats meet with his client "frequently enough."
"Their visits are a great psychological and moral support for Vinnik," Bukh added.