DOJ Opposes Acquittal Bid in Tornado Cash Founder’s Trial

Federal prosecutors have firmly rejected Roman Storm's motion for acquittal, asserting that the evidence presented during the Tornado Cash trial was sufficient to uphold his conviction. The U.S. Department of Justice for the Southern District of New York filed a submission last week opposing Storm's request to dismiss all charges against him.

Storm, co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, was convicted in August for operating an unlicensed money transmission service. The jury deadlocked on two additional counts—conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions law—resulting in a partial mistrial.

Prosecutors argue that Storm exercised direct and intentional control over Tornado Cash, countering defense claims that his involvement was passive. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Tornado Cash in 2022 for allegedly facilitating transactions tied to North Korean hackers and other malicious actors.