The US Department of Justice has filed a motion with the court requesting to deny the defense’s motion for acquittal of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm. Prosecutors stated that the evidence presented is more than sufficient to support his conviction on conspiracy charges.
This is reported by Business • Media
Sufficiency of Evidence and Prosecution’s Position
According to federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York, Roman Storm was found partially guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transfer business in August 2025. The defendant’s attorneys filed a post-trial motion, arguing that none of the three charges were proven. Meanwhile, the prosecution insists that the verdict should remain in effect.
The documents submitted to the court emphasize that Storm was actively involved in the creation and management of the Tornado Cash service. Together with his partners, he repeatedly modified the platform’s interface, regulating user access. The prosecution estimates that this confirms his key role in managing the service. Prosecutors highlight that over 96% of users accessed Tornado Cash through this interface.
Additional Charges and Court Proceedings
In addition to the main episode, the defendant’s defense sought acquittal on two additional charges: money laundering and sanctions violations. Prosecutors claim that evidence for these charges was also fully provided.
The materials from the US Department of Justice emphasize that Tornado Cash was used by entities under sanctions, including cybercriminals and organizations linked to North Korea. According to them, Storm understood the potential consequences of the functionalities being implemented and continued to develop the service nonetheless.
The final decision in this case will be made by Judge Katherine Polk Failla after Roman Storm’s attorneys provide their response to the prosecution’s position.
Previously, the investment firm Paradigm expressed concerns about the risks to software developers in the US arising from Roman Storm’s case.