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In the latest development in the ongoing prosecution of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, the presiding judge has adjourned the much-awaited trial until April 2025. This decision will see the money laundering and sanctions violations charges against the crypto developer drag on for at least the next five months.
Mandamus Petition Trial Still Set For November 12
On Friday, November 1, Judge Katherine Polk Failla of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in a telephone conference ruled for the adjournment of Tornado Cash’s Storm’s case until April 14, 2025. This ruling pushes the trial back by four months from the previously scheduled December start date.
This four-month delay is expected to help the prosecutors and defense counsel to sort out their disagreement over expert witness disclosures. This conflict began after Judge Failla ordered both parties to exchange information about expert witnesses they might ask to testify in the trial.
According to an October 14 court filing, Storm’s counsel — led by Brian Klein — disagreed with the New York Judge’s order, arguing that such a disclosure would reveal the defense’s strategy and could hamper the defendant’s case. Klein also argued that the defense is not legally obligated to disclose information about their expert witnesses unless they have requested the same from the prosecution.
In a bid to overturn Judge Failla’s order, Storm’s legal team has submitted a mandamus petition with the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. For context, a mandamus petition refers to a formal request in which a party asks a higher court to direct a lower court or official to fulfill a duty or refrain from an action. A hearing on the mandamus petition filed by Storm’s counsel has been scheduled for November 12.
Tornado Cash co-founder Storm faces three charges in the ongoing trial, including conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit sanctions violations, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. The crypto co-founder faces up to 45 years in jail if found guilty of all charges.
Tornado Cash’s Semenov Still At Large?
Storm pleaded not guilty to all three counts and has been free on a $2-million bond after his arrest in 2023. Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Semenov has been on the run since and has been added to the wanted list of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Meanwhile, third co-founder Alexey Pertsev is currently serving a five-year jail sentence in the Netherlands for similar charges.
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