Roman Storm, one of many co-founders and builders behind the cryptocurrency mixing service Twister Money, appeared in a video interview as his US felony trial is predicted to start in lower than two weeks.
In an interview launched Wednesday by Crypto In America, Storm said his authorized staff supposed to handle at trial the allegations that he had personally profited from illicit funds by way of his function at Twister Money.
Nevertheless, he declined to say whether or not he would testify in his personal protection over costs of cash laundering, conspiracy to function an unlicensed cash transmitter, and conspiracy to violate US sanctions.
“That is the choice that we’ll make,” mentioned Storm on taking the stand in court docket. “I don’t have a 100% reply proper now. I could or might not.”
US authorities indicted Storm in 2023, roughly a yr after the Treasury Division’s Workplace of International Belongings Management sanctioned addresses linked to Twister Money. The federal government company mentioned the blending service had facilitated cash laundering with crypto stolen by North Korea-based hackers, the Lazarus Group.
Roman Semenov, one of many different Twister Money builders named in the identical indictment as Storm, was nonetheless at massive on the time of publication. Nevertheless, Alexey Pertsev, one other co-founder and developer, was discovered responsible of cash laundering within the Netherlands and sentenced to more than five years in jail.
Associated: Ethereum Foundation pledges $500K to Roman Storm’s defense
Life whereas awaiting trial for Storm
Since his arrest, Storm has acquired an outpouring of assist from many individuals within the crypto trade, decrying his indictment as an assault on builders and privateness.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Paradigm founder Matt Huang, and the Ethereum Basis have all contributed hundreds of {dollars} to Storm’s authorized fund, which was reported to have greater than $750,000 as of June 26.
“I’ve obtained lots of psychological harm from this case, clearly,” mentioned Storm. “It’s so damaging […] you believed in a single factor, you believed that there’s a [sic] widespread sense, there’s a misunderstanding, and also you’re getting this [sic] harsh issues occurring in your life. I might positively have to get well myself for a while to get again into what I like.”
Storm’s trial is predicted to start within the US District Court docket for the Southern District of New York on July 14.
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