Tornado Cash’s pleads dismissal of all money laundering charges

Crypto mixer mania: Roman Storm, co-founder of cryptocurrency mixer Torno Cash, has taken legal action by filing a motion to dismiss all three charges against him. According to media reports, Storm and his legal team argue that accusations of operating a money laundering business and violating International Emergency Economic Powers Act are unfounded.

In a filing to United States District Court for Sourn District of New York on March 29, Storm's lawyers asserted that Storm cannot be held responsible for conspiring to launder funds. y underlined that Torno Cash was developed and publicly accessible before it was allegedly used by sanctioned entities, making it difficult for Storm to prevent such usage.

charges against Storm revolve around allegations that Torno Cash facilitated North Korean Lazarus Group's efforts to bypass US sanctions, potentially enabling funding of North Korea's nuclear program.

Storm's legal team furr argued that Torno Cash did not function as a money-transmitting business since it did not charge fees for fund transmission, and users maintained complete control over ir cryptocurrencies. y maintained that Storm's intention was to create software solutions to improve financial privacy for law-abiding cryptocurrency users.

Previously, in September 2023, Storm pleed not guilty to all charges and was released on a $2 million bond, with travel restrictions limited to specific regions of New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California.

legal battle unfolds amid a broer crackdown by US government on crypto-mixing services. Recently, founder of Bitcoin Fog, a leing crypto-mixing service, was convicted of money laundering and related charges.

Despite regulatory scrutiny, crypto mixers remain valued within crypto community for ir ability to improve privacy and confidentiality in transactions. At one point, Arbitrum DAO h considered allocating funds to support Storm's legal defence, but proposal has since been withdrawn, with reasons for its removal undisclosed.