Roman Storm, co-founder of the contentious crypto mixer Tornado Cash, has expressed apprehension about his forthcoming criminal trial, seeking support from privacy proponents.
On X, previously known as Twitter, Storm posted on January 22, mentioning that his defense team is preparing for a robust defense in the trial set for September 2024. He faces three accusations, including money laundering conspiracy, running an unlicensed money transmission business, and violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, all of which he denies.
Storm emphasized the significance of the trial for those involved in Web3 development or interested in software and privacy, highlighting its potential impact on future legal precedents. He and his co-conspirator Roman Semenov, who is still at large, were indicted in August 2023. After being arrested, Storm was released on a $2 million bail, with his trial scheduled for September 23.
In a related incident, Dutch authorities apprehended Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Pertsev in August 2022, but he was released in April 2023 pending trial. As of January 22, over $28,000 has been raised for Pertsev and Storm's defense through the funding platform Juicebox. The charges against Storm and Semenov largely revolve around Tornado Cash's supposed involvement in assisting North Korean hackers, the Lazarus Group, evade U.S. sanctions. In August 2022, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) listed cryptocurrency mixers as Specially Designated Nationals.
Following the U.S. Treasury Department's actions against Tornado Cash, some crypto supporters sued the government, claiming OFAC overstepped its sanctioning powers. Two lawsuits filed by six investors and Coin Center are currently undergoing appeals after an initial summary judgment defeat.
