At this time, the U.S. Division of Justice (DoJ) held the primary listening to within the case towards Samourai Pockets builders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill within the Southern District of New York.
I attended the primary listening to #warrior Pockets case represented earlier right this moment @bitcoinmagazine and had a quick dialog with one of many defendants, Keonne Rodriguez, after the listening to.
Here is a recap of what I discovered: pic.twitter.com/QZN4Ape0CZ
— Frank Corva (@frankcorva) May 28, 2024
The 2 builders had been arrested in late April and charged with conspiracy to launder cash and conspiracy to function an unlicensed cash switch enterprise.
Nevertheless, solely Rodriguez and his lawyer Michael Cruz had been in courtroom right this moment as a result of Hill continues to be in Portugal and has not but responded to the U.S. authorities’s extradition request.
The prosecution mentioned it was practically able to proceed with discovery (sharing proof deliberate for trial with the defendants) and was prepared for the trial whether or not or not Hill and Rodriguez had been current.
“main discovery”
Prosecutors additionally mentioned they haven’t but extracted all knowledge from the digital gadgets confiscated from Rodriguez however will present “substantial discovery” primarily based on the knowledge obtained thus far.
The corporate additionally mentioned it was nonetheless ready for Rodriguez at hand over the two TB exhausting drive that the defendant nonetheless owned.
No particulars had been supplied about what knowledge is perhaps on the exhausting drive.
a letter from two senators
Rodriguez’s legal professional mentioned he plans to file a movement to dismiss the lawsuit towards his shopper and his shopper’s accomplice in Samourai, citing U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Ron Wy In a letter from Ron Wyden (D-OR) to Legal professional Common Merrick Garland, the 2 politicians argued that non-custodial encryption software program can’t be a cash transmission service.
“We write to precise our critical issues about latest coverage arguments by the U.S. Division of Justice (DOJ) that considerably broaden the scope of the federal prohibition on working unlicensed cash switch companies,” the letter begins.
“The Division of Justice’s unprecedented interpretation of the regulation within the context of non-custodial crypto asset software program providers contradicts the clear intent of Congress and the authoritative steerage of the Treasury Division’s Monetary Crimes Enforcement Community (FinCEN). This interpretation might undermine the supply of non-custodial crypto belongings Asset software program providers are criminalized by People.
The letter additionally acknowledged that “non-custodial crypto service suppliers can’t be categorized as cash transmission companies as a result of customers of such providers retain sole possession and management of their crypto belongings.”
go forward
The choose introduced that Rodriguez will stay underneath home arrest and the subsequent listening to within the case can be held on September 4, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
These enthusiastic about donating to the Samourai Developer Authorized Protection Fund can achieve this by a fundraiser arrange by the Bitcoin Coverage Institute (BPI).
