Roman Storm, one of the co-creators of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, may pursue a mistrial in his high-stakes money laundering case.
The defense is challenging key testimony and evidence presented by the prosecution. Storm faces charges of conspiracy to launder money and violate US sanctions, carrying a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.
Central to the defense’s challenge is the testimony of government witness Hanfeng Lin. Lawyers for Storm dispute Lin’s claims that he lost funds linked to Tornado Cash. FBI Special Agent Joseph DeCapua, during questioning, acknowledged he did not conduct any independent analysis of Lin’s specific blockchain transactions.
This admission weakens the prosecution’s claims regarding Lin’s interactions with the protocol. Further doubt was cast by blockchain experts, including Taylor Monahan of MetaMask and investigator ZachXBT.
Their analyses contradict assertions that funds lost by Lin passed through Tornado Cash at all. The defense’s argument for a mistrial hinges on these disputed elements of the government’s case.
Should a mistrial be declared, it carries substantial implications for the evolving legal and regulatory framework surrounding cryptocurrency privacy tools like mixers.