Roman Storm is calling on the public to contribute to his legal defense fund as he awaits his fate during the final days of his landmark trial in Manhattan federal court, a new X post from the Tornado Cash developer shows.
Storm Pleads for Help as Trial Nears End
“We’re running out of time — legal costs are piling up fast, and we urgently need your help,” Storm said in a July 26 X post.
According to the Free Roman Storm website, the DeFi developer has received $3.2 million worth of contributions out of a $5 million goal.
“If you believe in open-source, privacy, and standing up to injustice, please donate now,” he added. “Every bit counts.”
Federal Prosecutors Cite $1B in Alleged Laundering
Storm’s call for contributions comes ahead of closing arguments scheduled for this week in his trial on criminal charges tied to his crypto mixer, Tornado Cash.
Storm was indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and sanctions violations back in 2023 alongside Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Semenov.
Federal prosecutors argue that Storm laundered and concealed over $1 billion worth of funds via Tornado Cash, including hundreds of millions of dollars for the Lazarus Group, North Korea’s state-sponsored malware collective.
“Roman Storm and Roman Semenov allegedly operated Tornado Cash and knowingly facilitated this money laundering,” then-U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in an August 2023 press release.
“While publicly claiming to offer a technically sophisticated privacy service, Storm and Semenov in fact knew that they were helping hackers and fraudsters conceal the fruits of their crimes,” he added.
If convicted, Storm faces a maximum sentence of 45 years behind bars for charges connected to the crypto company, though the judge and federal sentencing guidelines will determine how long he could get.
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