The legal battle surrounding Tornado Cache developer Alexey Pertsev has reached a critical point as he seeks additional funding to continue his fight for privacy and freedom to publish code.
According to accounts from Pertsev and Roman Storm, Pertsev, who was arrested two years ago and embroiled in a dangerous legal dispute, now faces an uphill battle with government forces that have poured enormous resources into his prosecution.
The support account highlighted Pertsev’s dire financial situation, noting that he had run out of funds. “It’s time to stand up for Alexei and fight for what’s right,” the account said, highlighting the urgent need for between $750,000 and $1 million to cover ongoing legal costs.
Crypto Community Support
The crypto community has shown solid support for Perchev and his co-developer Storm, both of whom have been charged with money laundering, sanctions violations, and operating an unlicensed money transfer business through the cryptocurrency mixing service Tornado Cash.
This support led to the creation of JusticeDAO, an advocacy group that aims to raise funds for the developers’ legal defense. As of June 19, the group had raised over 654 Ether (ETH), equivalent to approximately $2.3 million at the time, through a fundraiser titled “Free Alexey & Roman” on the decentralized platform Juicebox.
Additionally, an additional 70 Ether was raised through the JusticeDAO page. Juicebox has maintained transparency by releasing a public spreadsheet tracking the expenses of the “Free Alexey & Roman” fund, revealing that $1.39 million was spent on legal fees between December 2023 and May 2024.
Perchev’s legal battle
Despite these significant efforts, the financial demands of Pertsev’s legal battle are enormous. He remains incarcerated after being denied bail, and his lawyers are preparing to appeal the money laundering charges.
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Perchev’s situation was further complicated by the denial of his request for computer access to prepare his appeal, making it difficult for him to prepare an effective defense.
Percev was convicted on May 14 by the Dutch Court of Appeal in ‘s-Hertogenbosch for money laundering and sentenced to five years and four months in prison. The court’s decision was based on allegations that Percev laundered $1.2 billion worth of illicit assets through Tornado Cash.
The ruling follows a previous ruling in November 2023, when a Dutch court rejected Percev’s petition for supervised release, citing prosecutors’ arguments that he was a flight risk.
At trial in March, Perchev argued that he should not be held liable for the actions of individuals who used the Tornado Cash protocol for illegal purposes. However, the court rejected this argument, saying Perchev and his co-founders could have implemented additional measures to prevent criminal misuse of the protocol.
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