Judge pushes jury to end Storm trial after days of gridlock

Key Points

1. Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued an Allen charge to encourage a deadlocked jury to re-examine the case in the Tornado Cash trial.

2. Storm, the defendant, is accused of conspiring to launder over $1 billion in illicit funds, including money tied to North Korea’s Lazarus Group.

3. Storm’s lawyer, Brian Klein, opposed the Allen charge, while prosecutors supported it, emphasizing the jury's deep divisions.

4. If convicted, Storm could face up to 45 years in prison, given the maximum penalties for the charges.

5. The case raises significant questions about crypto developer liability and regulatory scrutiny in the cryptocurrency space.