Roman Sterlingov, the founder of the notorious darknet crypto mixer, Bitcoin Fog, has been sentenced to 12.5 years of imprisonment for laundering tens of millions of dollars in illegal drug transactions. According to a November 8 statement released by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), Judge Randolph Moss ordered to forfeit $395 million in assets linked to Bitcoin Fog, including $103 million in Bitcoin.
In March 2024, a jury convicted Sterlingov, the 36-year-old Russian-Swiss national, of multiple charges, including money laundering, conspiracy, unauthorized crypto business operations, etc. While the prosecution sought a prison sentence of 20-30 years for Sterlingov, the court’s recent ruling imposed a significantly lesser sentence. The ruling stated that the platform gained “notoriety as a go-to money laundering service for criminals.” The court further claimed that Bitcoin Fog was transformed into a platform for criminals to hide their illicit activities.
Throughout the trial, Sterlingov argued that he was not the operator but only a service user. However, the court found him guilty of the charges and ruled more than a decade of prison sentence for him. In response to the legal development, crime commentator L0la L33tz shared an X post, addressing it as a “grave miscarriage of justice.” The X user slammed the decision, asserting that the ruling is evidence of the US government’s crackdown on financial privacy.
Roman Sterlingov has just been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison.
— L0la L33tz (@L0laL33tz) November 8, 2024
The government is now seizing the little Bitcoin he has left, while the Billions of Dollars he allegedly made operating Bitcoin Fog continue to remain unaccounted for.
This entire case is a grave miscarriage of… https://t.co/ghivGzMlOH pic.twitter.com/Kcbbu2Qr75
The defense team highlighted the lack of direct evidence to link Sterlingov with operating Bitcoin Fog. They also pointed out that the case lacked any service logs or eyewitness statements. However, Sterlingov expressed remorse during the hearing, stating, “I am sorry for any harm that may have come from my actions.”
Alchemy Pay Expands US Reach with Four New State LicensesThe judge addressed the need for a strong deterrent in the crypto space to mitigate the increasing crimes. Though the defense argued for a maximum of 7.5 years, the judge ordered a stronger punishment, adding that a life sentence is excessive in this case.
