Samourai Wallet Developer Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Keonne Rodriguez, a developer of the Samourai Wallet, was sentenced to five years in prison for creating a bitcoin mixing service linked to laundering $237 million in illicit funds. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote imposed the statutory maximum sentence after a hearing at the Southern District of New York. Rodriguez and co-developer William Lonergan Hill were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. They pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of unlicensed money transmitting in July, which led to a deal with prosecutors. The case highlighted the use of the service for laundering proceeds from serious crimes, including drug trafficking and cybercrimes. Hill is scheduled for sentencing the following day, as the legal proceedings continue amidst broader discussions on cryptocurrency regulation and privacy tools in the U.S.

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