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 his role in creating a bitcoin mixing service alleged to have laundered $237 million in illicit funds. The sentence was delivered by District Judge Denise Cote after a hearing at the federal courthouse in Manhattan. Prosecutors pushed for the maximum sentence, emphasizing that Rodriguez knowingly facilitated money laundering from serious criminal activities such as drug trafficking and cybercrimes. Rodriguez, along with fellow developer William Lonergan Hill, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, with the more severe money laundering charge being dropped as part of a deal. The two had initially fought the charges for over a year but changed their pleas during a related trial concerning another developer, Roman Storm, who faced similar charges. Hill is scheduled for sentencing shortly after Rodriguez.

Source 🔗