Source: Cointelegraph
Original: “Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm's Trial Continues, Charges Slightly Reduced”
The U.S. federal prosecutors continue to advance the case against Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm, but will drop a small portion of the charges after the Department of Justice withdrew some cryptocurrency enforcement last month.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated in a letter to Federal Court Judge Katherine Polk Failla on May 15 that the charges against Storm remain valid, with only one count regarding conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business being partially dismissed.
Clayton wrote, “After reviewing this case, our office and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General have determined that this prosecution aligns with the letter and spirit of the Deputy Attorney General's memorandum dated April 7, 2025.”
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche indicated in the April memorandum that the Department of Justice would terminate the so-called “regulatory through prosecution” approach to cryptocurrency, adding that the agency would not prosecute for “end-user behavior or unintentional regulatory violations” related to cryptocurrency mixers like Tornado Cash.
Clayton added that the indictment against Storm will remove the charge of failing to comply with money transmission business registration requirements. Prosecutors had previously pursued this charge based on Storm's alleged conspiracy to operate Tornado Cash as an unlicensed money transmission tool.
The government will still proceed with the charge against Storm for transmitting funds while knowing that the source of the funds was criminal or intended to support illegal activities.
The Department of Justice claims that Tornado Cash facilitated the laundering of over $1 billion in cryptocurrency, including services for the sanctioned North Korean state-sponsored hacking group Lazarus Group.
Clayton stated that the Department of Justice will also continue to pursue two additional charges in the indictment, namely one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions.
Conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate sanctions each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, while conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison.
Storm has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is scheduled for July 14. He is charged alongside another founder, Roman Semenov, who is currently at large and believed to be in his home country of Russia.
Other cryptocurrency executives facing charges have also cited Blanche's memorandum in attempts to have their cases dismissed.
Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill, co-founders of the cryptocurrency mixer Samourai Wallet, referenced the memorandum in their efforts to dismiss charges of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Braden John Karony, CEO of cryptocurrency company SafeMoon, also cited the memorandum in an attempt to have charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering dismissed.
Related: Coinbase Executive: Trump's Relationship with Cryptocurrency “Presents Certain Challenges for Passing Legislation”
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