Jury Deadlocked on Tornado Cash Founder in Crypto Crimes Case

A U.S. jury could not reach a verdict on money laundering charges against Tornado Cash founder Roman Storm, though he was found guilty of operating an unlicensed money business. Storm, linked to laundering funds for North Korea, faces a potential five-year sentence, as prosecutors consider re-trial on unresolved charges.

A U.S. jury found itself deadlocked this Wednesday on certain charges against Roman Storm, the founder of Tornado Cash. The Manhattan federal court jury could not decide on allegations of money laundering and sanctions evasion, notably involving connections to North Korea.

Despite this, Storm was convicted on a lesser charge of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmission business. Faced with a possible five-year prison sentence, his legal team remains hopeful for a complete vindication.

Prosecutors criticized Storm for allegedly using Tornado Cash to support crypto crimes rather than privacy protection. As the case progresses, the decision to retry on unresolved matters remains pending.

(With inputs from agencies.)