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US Department of Justice Arrests CEO and CTO of Crypto Mixer
Samourai Wallet Founders Arrested for Money Laundering - Learn about the arrest of Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill for illegal activity in the crypto mixer space. #Money Laundering #Cryptocurrency
US Department of Justice Arrests CEO and CTO of Crypto Mixer
The US Department of Justice has announced the arrest of Keonne Rodriguez, CEO, and William Lonergan Hill, CTO, of crypto mixer Samourai Wallet. The agency accuses them of laundering more than $100 million in criminal proceeds and facilitating more than $2 billion in illicit transactions. According to the allegations, Samourai Wallet served as a vehicle for money laundering and sanctions evasion activities.
Rodriguez and Hill's arrests came on allegations that they facilitated extensive money laundering activities through their platform. The Justice Department said at least $100 million in illicit funds have been concealed through Samourai Wallet since 2015.
Rodriguez is expected to appear in a Pennsylvania court while Hill awaits extradition in Portugal. Authorities in Iceland assisted in the seizure of Samourai's domain and servers, and an arrest warrant for the mobile application was served on the Google Play Store.
According to the investigation, Rodriguez and Hill specifically developed features in Samourai Wallet to help criminals launder money and evade financial sanctions. Their mixer called “Whirlpool” and the premium service “Ricochet” turned out to be tools designed to cover the tracks of Bitcoin transactions and enable illegal activities under the guise of privacy.
Authorities allege that Samourai Wallet facilitated the laundering of funds from the Silk Road and Hydra dark web markets, as well as engaging in other criminal activities. This arrest reflects increased law enforcement focus targeting infrastructure that supports cybercrime.