The Tornado Cash crypto mixer founders have officially been charged and arrested by the US government. Specifically, the US has charged both Roman Storm and Roman Semenox with laundering more than $1 billion as well as sanction violations.
The indictment was unsealed today, as the charges from the US Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York were revealed. Subsequently, both Tornado Cash developers have been arrested by the US government in connection with the charges.
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Tornado Cash Founders Face Money Laundering, Sanction Violation Charges
In a notable development to the story, Tornado Cash crypto mixer founders have officially been charged and arrested by the US government. Indeed, Roman Storm and Roman Semenov are facing accusations of money laundering and sanctions violations by the government. Both charges were listed in an indictment released today.
Specifically, the government stated that the founders were also charged with “conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.” Moreover, they stated that Tronado Cash “laundered hundreds of millions of dollars for the Lazarus Group, the sanctioned North Korean cybercrime organization.”
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Additionally, both Tornado Cash creators were subsequently arrested by authorities. Moreover, the mixer was sanctioned by the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) last year. That development occurred after the Lazarus Group allegedly laundered funds through it. Preceding the charges and arrest that was made public today
US Attorney Damien Williams said Tornado Cash “knowingly facilitated” the money laundering. “Storm and Semenov in fact knew that they were helping hackers and fraudsters conceal the fruits of their crimes.” Additionally, Williams stated that laundering through digital assets did not change the severity of the crimes.