Tornado Cash Developer Challenges Charges, Files Motion to Dismiss with Legal Arguments
Roman Storm, co-founder of the cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash, has submitted a motion to dismiss all three charges against him, claiming that he did not operate a money laundering business and did not violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
In a filing with the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 29, Storm’s lawyers argued that he cannot be accused of conspiring to launder funds.
According to Storm’s legal team, Tornado Cash was developed, became immutable, and was publicly available before it was utilized by the hacking groups that were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury.
They assert that Storm had limited control over preventing a “sanctioned entity from using it” by the time the alleged misconduct occurred.
The charges against Storm revolve around the accusation that Tornado Cash facilitated the efforts of the North Korean Lazarus Group in evading U.S. sanctions, potentially enabling the country’s regime to finance its nuclear program.
Storm’s lawyers further contended that Tornado Cash did not operate as a money-transmitting business since it did not charge a fee for transmitting funds, and users retained full control over their cryptocurrencies.
They argued that Storm’s intention was to develop software solutions that offered financial privacy for law-abiding cryptocurrency users, asserting that the charges are “fatally flawed and should be dismissed.”
In September 2023, Storm pleaded not guilty to all charges and was released on a $2 million bond shortly after his arrest.
He currently faces travel restrictions, confining him to certain regions of New York, New Jersey, Washington, and California.
The development comes amidst the
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