US federal prosecutors have reacted to a new legal dispute in the case of Roman Storm, one of the developers of the cryptocurrency mixer service Tornado Cash. Storm’s lawyers had argued that a recent decision by the US Supreme Court regarding internet provider Cox set an example for their client. However, the prosecutor’s office stated that this decision was not similar to Storm’s case.
Opinion from prosecutors against the Supreme Court decision
Storm’s lawyers conveyed to the court the decision given in March that the Cox internet provider could not be held responsible for copyright violations of its users. It was stated that this decision could have an impact on the money laundering charge on which Storm is being tried.
The prosecutor’s office claimed that there were serious differences between the two files. While it was stated that Cox tried to prevent violations against its users, it was noted that Storm and Tornado Cash did not take steps to prevent illegal activity on the platform, instead taking similar measures.
It was reported that Storm made false statements to the victims who wanted to get information about the control of the platform, that he and his team made more than 250 changes to the infrastructure of Tornado Cash during that period, and that he discussed and gave up on implementing measures that could prevent illegal transactions.
The prosecutor’s office emphasized that Storm’s reaction to the illegal activities of its users was for show, and that Cox had developed effective mechanisms against 98 percent of violations.
Latest developments in the case and similar trials
In Storm’s trial, last month, the prosecutor’s office requested a retrial for two pending charges. In the file, a proposal was made for this additional trial to begin in October 2026.
Roman Storm was found guilty by a jury in August of facilitating unauthorized money transfer. However, there was no consensus on charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion.
Matthew J Galeotti, who is temporarily acting as assistant chief prosecutor in the Criminal Division of the Ministry of Justice, stated that writing code is not a crime, and noted that the investigation will continue for those who deliberately assist in illegal activity.
The co-founders of Samourai Wallet, which offers a service similar to Tornado Cash, pleaded guilty to money laundering and were sentenced in court. In this case, Keonne Rodriguez was sentenced to 5 years in prison and William Lonergan Hill was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
