by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Dec 12 – Roman Storm was charged using his cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash to help launder money for North Korea's hackers in the Lazarus Group.
On September 6, 2023 he was arraigned before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Katherine Polk Failla. Inner City Press was there - thread
The US on July 9, 2025 filed opposition - just as in the Samouri Wallet case a letter from Senator Lummis and Wyden that cites theTornado Cash case, letter now on Patreon, with Samouri story, here.
On July 11 Inner City Press live tweeted a conference in which the US said Witness-1 only began speaking to them on July 3 and is seeking sentence reduction under Rule 35. Judge Failla will let Witness-1 testifying, but expressed doubts on venue. Thread.
On July 14 Inner City Press live tweeted jury selection.
Crypto Tornado book 1 WAS here
On October 24 as Inner City Press live tweeted US v. Peraire-Bueno, Amazon without notice took down the Tornado Cash, SBF and other books: censorship.
The prosecutors spoke about Dragonfly - then asked to seal it. Inner City Press moved to unseal, and Judge Failla asked them and the defense to respond by August 19.
On August 5 the jurors returned with this: no unanimity on Counts 1 and 3, guilty on Count 2, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmittal business. The AUSA then asked that Storm be remanded to jail as a flight right. Thread. Judge Failla denied that.
On August 19 Storm through counsel wrote in saying he does not oppose Inner City Press' motion to unseal... on August 21, Shakeeb Ahmed who was transported from jail in West Virginia to testify against Storm had his sentence ended as "time served"...
Early on October 1 Storm's lawyers filed a motion for acquittal, notice of motion on Patreon here.
Troublingly, the US Attorney's Office has still not docketed any response to Judge Failla's order they responded to Inner City Press' motion to unseal the transcript on Dragonfly, more than 40 days after the deadline.
On November 12 the US filed a 105 page opposition to Storm's motion for acquittal, photo of table of contents / argument here.
On December 12, the day after Do Kwon was sentenced to 15 years, Storm's lawyers filed a 59 page reply, at the end citing the First Amendment.
On January 5, 2026, Judge Failla ordered: "the Court hereby ADJOURNS the conference previously scheduled for January 22, 2026, to April 9, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The ends of justice would be served by excluding time under the Speedy Trial Act from January 22, 2026, until April 9, 2026, and that this would outweigh the interests of the public and the defendant in a speedy retrial, because it will give the parties and the Court additional time to consider Mr. Storm's post-trial motions. (Signed by Judge Katherine Polk Failla on 1/5/26)."
Note: One of Storm's lawyer has now gone to the Cooley firm.
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
The case is USA v. Storm, et al., 1:23-cr-430 (Failla)
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