The operator of cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog was found guilty Tuesday of helping launder millions of dollars in a darknet marketplace known for selling illegal drugs.
After two days of deliberations, a Washington federal court jury found Roman Sterlingloff, 35, guilty on all four charges on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg.
Sterling Rope was the first. charged The government said hundreds of millions of dollars entered the Bitcoin fog, $78 million of which came from known darknet markets.
Sterlingloff, who denies operating Bitcoin Fog, could face up to 20 years in prison. During the trial, the government had other cryptocurrency criminals testify, including Ilya Lichtenstein and Larry Harmon, according to Bloomberg. liechtenstein plead Last year, he was found guilty of money laundering conspiracy in connection with the hacking of cryptocurrency trading platform Bitfinex in 2016. Harmon He admitted to operating Bitcoin mixing service Helix and pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in 2021.
Sterlingov said he was not behind Bitcoin Fog.
On the witness stand, Sterlingov told the court that he did not remember whether he created the Bitcoin Fog domain name and doubted whether he did so. His lawyer also said there is no evidence that Sterlingov ran Bitcoin Fog, according to Bloomberg.
Cryptomixers have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and the U.S. government over the past few years. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned several cryptocurrency mixers over the years, including Tornado Cash and Sinbad. In Washington, some member of Congress They said they were concerned about cryptocurrency mixers and how difficult it could be to track the money flowing through them.
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About the author
Sarah is a reporter for The Block covering policy, regulation and legal events. Sarah was previously a reporter writing about securities regulation at CQ Legal, where she first began her reporting on cryptocurrencies. She Sarah has also written for The Bond Buyer and American Banker, among other financial publications. She graduated from the University of Missouri with a degree in Print and Digital Journalism. Sarah lives in Washington, DC and she is an avid coffee lover. You can follow her on Twitter @ForTheWynn.