1 month ago
Roman Sterlingov, the antheral down the crypto mixer Bitcoin Fog, is contesting a imaginable 30-year situation condemnation pursuing his conviction connected respective wealth laundering charges.
In a 37-page sentencing memorandum submitted to the US District Court for the District of Columbia, Sterlingov’s defence squad contends that the recommended sentences of 30 and 20 years by the prosecution and Probation Office, respectively, “vastly exceed” the penalties imposed successful akin cases.
The defence argued that these recommendations are disproportionately precocious owed to the “cumulative effect” of assorted enhancements that punish antithetic aspects of the aforesaid behaviour — specifically, moving a large-scale wealth laundering operation.
Laundering conviction
Sterlingov was convicted earlier this twelvemonth connected multiple counts related to operating Bitcoin Fog, a work that allegedly facilitated the laundering of implicit $47 cardinal successful transgression proceeds.
The authorities has portrayed him arsenic a cardinal fig successful a blase strategy that allowed users to anonymize Bitcoin transactions, efficaciously making it hard for instrumentality enforcement to hint amerciable activities specified arsenic cause trafficking and different transgression enterprises.
Prosecutors alleged that Bitcoin Fog, which Sterlingov operated from 2011 to 2021, was utilized to launder astir $400 cardinal successful Bitcoin connected to amerciable activities specified arsenic cause trafficking, individuality theft, and cybercrime.
Judge Randolph Moss, who is overseeing the case, primitively scheduled Sterlingov’s sentencing for Aug. 21. However, the tribunal volition present archetypal perceive arguments regarding the government’s efforts to prehend assets tied to Bitcoin Fog, including 1,354 Bitcoin that person remained dormant since 2012 and a imaginable $395 cardinal fiscal judgment.
Circumstantial evidence
However, Sterlingov’s attorneys argued that the lawsuit against him relied heavy connected circumstantial evidence, noting that cardinal elements specified arsenic the Bitcoin Fog server, server logs, backstage keys, oregon ledger were ne'er entered into grounds during the trial.
The defence emphasized that helium has nary anterior transgression past and has led an different exemplary life. It besides asserted that the jury’s verdict aligns much with aiding and abetting alternatively than straight moving the Bitcoin Fog operation, suggesting that Sterlingov’s relation was little cardinal than prosecutors person portrayed.
The defence further argued that the sentencing guidelines, which are heavy influenced by the dollar amounts progressive successful the offense, bash not accurately bespeak Sterlingov’s culpability.
It contended that the guidelines’ absorption connected the worth of the laundered funds is misplaced successful this case, arsenic it fails to relationship for the information that Sterlingov did not personally nett from the transactions and that galore of the funds passed done Bitcoin Fog without his nonstop involvement.
The station Bitcoin Fog laminitis argues 30-year condemnation ‘vastly exceeds’ akin cases appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.
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