Tornado Cash Dev Roman Storm’s Criminal Case Will Proceed to Trial, NY Judge Orders
The U.S. Department of Justice's case against Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm will proceed to trial, as a New York judge denied his motion to dismiss criminal charges. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla stated she would provide a detailed explanation for her ruling. Storm, along with fellow developer Roman Semenov, was indicted on three charges: conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Powers Act. Prosecutors allege that Tornado Cash facilitated the laundering of over $1 billion, including funds from North Korea's Lazarus Group. Storm has pleaded not guilty and argues that he is not responsible for criminal actions resulting from the code he wrote. The judge also denied Storm's motion to compel the DOJ to produce documents from Dutch authorities, deeming the request speculative. The trial is set to begin on December 2 and could last two weeks, with a maximum potential sentence of 45 years if convicted.
