Roman Storm Faces 45 Years—But Stays Silent in High-Stakes Federal Money-Laundering Trial

Federal prosecutors just threw the book at crypto developer Roman Storm—but he’s not throwing back a single word.

The 45-year sentence looming over him? Not even a flinch. The feds’ money-laundering case? Met with radio silence. Storm’s legal team is playing chess while the DOJ plays checkers.

Behind the scenes: This isn’t just a trial—it’s a referendum on crypto’s future in the US. Regulators want blood; builders want clarity. Meanwhile, Wall Street’s still laundering billions the old-fashioned way—with paperwork and plausible deniability.

Storm’s gamble? Silence speaks louder than subpoenas. But in a system where 'innocent until proven guilty' often means 'bankrupt before the verdict,' his strategy’s either genius or disastrous. Place your bets.

Roman Storm Declines to Testify in Federal Court

According to a July 29 report from Inner City Press, Storm and his lawyer told U.S. District Court Judge Katherine Polk Failla that the crypto-mixer co-founder WOULD not take the stand in Manhattan federal court this week.

They've back
Storm's lawyer Klein: My client is not going to testify.
Judge Failla: Mr. Storm, you know you can testify – you have chosen not to testify?
Storm: Yes, Your Honor
Judge: Thanks for letting me know

“Mr. Storm, you know you can testify,” the media outlet quotes Failla as saying. “You have chosen not to testify?”

“Yes, your honor,” Storm replied.

Defense Fund Nears $5 Million Contribution Goal

News of Storm’s decision not to testify comes just days after he took to X to beg his supporters for more contributions to his legal defense fund.

“Our lawyers and experts are working around the clock—we’ve forgotten what normal sleep feels like,” Storm wrote in the July 26 post. “Every hour counts, and so do the costs.”

Final push next week.

Our lawyers and experts are working around the clock — we’ve forgotten what normal sleep feels like. Every hour counts, and so do the costs.

If you believe in fairness, open-source, and freedom, please help us finish strong.
…

According to the Free Roman Storm website, contributions to Storm’s defense have exceeded $4.5 million, nearly reaching his $5 million goal.

“If you believe in fairness, open-source, and freedom, please help us finish strong,” he added.

Storm has faced an intense legal few weeks since his watershed open-source trial kicked off in New York City earlier this month.

Storm and fellow Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Semenov were indicted in August 2023 on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and sanctions violations.

Federal prosecutors allege Storm laundered and concealed more than $1 billion through Tornado Cash—including hundreds of millions for the Lazarus Group, North Korea’s state-sponsored malware collective.

“Roman Storm and Roman Semenov allegedly operated Tornado Cash and knowingly facilitated this money laundering,” then-U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in an August 2023 press release.

If convicted, Storm faces up to 45 years in federal prison.