SamouraiWallet

Two founders of Samourai Wallet face 5 years in prison

The two founders of the Bitcoin mixing wallet Samourai Wallet, William Lonergan Hill and Keonne Rodriguez, have pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Accordingly, they could face a sentence of up to 5 years in prison.

Context and legal consequences

Initially, both developers pleaded not guilty, but later changed their pleas. In exchange, the U.S. Department of Justice (#DOJ ) agreed to drop the more serious money laundering charges, which could have led to a 20-year sentence.
The DOJ and FBI shut down the platform #SamouraiWallet last year and arrested the two founders, accusing them of knowing that the platform was used by criminals to launder money but ignoring it. According to prosecutors, the application laundered over 100 million USD in illegal funds. Although lawyers and some organizations argue that wanting to trade privately on-chain is normal, the guilty plea helped the DOJ avoid the risk of losing a lawsuit.
This case comes amid the trial of the co-founder of the Tornado Cash privacy protocol also nearing its conclusion. Hill and Rodriguez will be sentenced on November 6, a significant milestone in the U.S. government's legal battle against cryptocurrency privacy services.

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👮 Samourai Wallet founders plead guilty: Face up to 5 years for unlicensed money transmission.

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🚨 Breaking: Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill will plead guilty to U.S. charges over their crypto mixing service.

#CryptoNews #SamouraiWallet #Privacy #Bitcoin

🚨 UPDATE: Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill will now plead guilty to US charges related to their crypto mixing service. 🏛️💼

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🚨 JUST IN: Crypto advocacy groups urge U.S. court to dismiss case against Bitcoin mixer Samourai Wallet.

🧑‍⚖️ Groups like Blockchain Association, Coin Center, DeFi Education Fund & Bitcoin Policy Institute argue Samourai merely enabled private transactions, not illegal activity. However, a federal judge rejected their amicus briefs this week.

U.S. authorities previously shut down Samourai and arrested its devs, claiming it operated an "unlicensed money transmitting business" used by criminals.

#SamouraiWallet #bitcoin #Privacy #Cryptolaw #CryptoNewss

🔥🚨 “BRADY VIOLATION!” SAMOURAI WALLET LAWYERS DEMAND DISMISSAL 🚨🔥

⚖️ Suppressed Evidence: Defense reveals FinCEN told prosecutors in Aug 2023 that Samourai Wallet doesn’t qualify as a money transmitter—six months before charges were filed.

🤯 Hidden from Court: SDNY prosecutors didn’t disclose this FinCEN guidance until April 1, 2025, despite a specific Brady request for exculpatory info.

🚨 Brady Violation Alert: Under Brady v. Maryland, withholding evidence that could exonerate defendants is a due-process breach—often grounds for total case dismissal .

🏛️ Prejudice to Defendants: This suppression impacted bail decisions (Rodriguez home confinement) and blocked immediate motions to dismiss after arraignment.

📄 Blanche Memo Leverage: Lawyers also cite the April Blanche Memo, which instructs DOJ to drop crypto regulatory prosecutions—adding political fire to their dismissal call.

⚔️ Prosecution Stalled: Despite a defense meeting on April 10, the DOJ has not yet decided whether to drop charges—leaving co-founders in limbo.

🧑‍⚖️ Court Precedent: Recall Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter case was thrown out mid-trial over a Brady violation—Samourai’s team argues the same due process compels dismissal.

⚙️ Policy Clash: The case pits FinCEN’s 2013 wallet guidance (wallet devs not money transmitters) against an aggressive DOJ stance—“regulation by enforcement” warned Coin Center last year.

👥 Developer Impact: Co-founders Rodriguez & Hill face up to 25 years in prison; their first joint court appearance underscored the stakes for non-custodial wallet builders.

🌐 Industry Eye: A dismissal would be a massive victory for privacy tech and mixers, following Tornado Cash’s sanction delisting this March—crypto’s right to innovate under scrutiny.

🔁 REPOST if you back Samourai’s fight for due process!
👀 FOLLOW@FaisalCrypto007 for live updates on this landmark crypto-justice showdown.
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🚨 SAMOURAI WALLET LEGAL DRAMA! 🚨

🔹 What Happened: Prosecutors tell a federal court that Samourai Wallet’s delay in handing over FinCEN Suspicious Activity Reports does not constitute a Brady violation—meaning the government believes they met their disclosure obligations.
🔹 Charges & Context: Samourai Wallet founders face conspiracy charges for allegedly aiding unlicensed money transmission and laundering activities via their privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet.
🔹 Defense Pushback: The defense argued that delayed FinCEN documents hampered their ability to build a fair case, but prosecutors maintain any tardiness was “ministerial” and didn’t prejudice the defense.
🔹 What’s at Stake: A ruling here could set precedent for how and when governments must share internal compliance records with defendants—critical for all privacy-tech cases moving forward.

💬 Your Take: Does this ruling protect critical government oversight or pave the way for unchecked prosecutorial power? Drop your hot takes below!
🔁 REPOST to set the Square algorithm ablaze—let’s fuel this debate on privacy vs. prosecution!
@FaisalCrypto007
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🔥 BREAKING: DOJ May Drop Samourai Wallet Charges Amid Crypto Policy Shift 🔥

In a stunning turn, U.S. prosecutors and Samourai Wallet founders have jointly requested a delay in court proceedings as they consider dropping charges against the privacy-focused crypto wallet. This development follows a significant policy shift by the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding cryptocurrency enforcement.​

⚖️ What's Happening?

Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill were indicted in April 2024 on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. The DOJ alleged that the platform facilitated over $2 billion in unlawful transactions and laundered more than $100 million in criminal proceeds. ​

However, in April 2025, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo disbanding the DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team and signaling a retreat from prosecuting crypto-related cases that do not involve investor harm or clear criminal activity. This policy shift has led both prosecutors and the defense team to reconsider the necessity of the charges. ​

🔄 What Does This Mean?

If the charges are dropped, it could set a precedent for how privacy-focused crypto tools are treated under U.S. law. It may also signal a broader shift towards a more lenient regulatory environment for the crypto industry, focusing enforcement efforts on cases involving direct criminal harm rather than on the developers of privacy-enhancing technologies.​

📈 Market Impact

The potential dismissal of these charges could have significant implications for the cryptocurrency market, particularly for privacy coins and services. A more favorable regulatory stance may encourage innovation and investment in privacy-focused blockchain technologies.​

Stay tuned as this story develops at @FaisalCrypto007




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