by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Nov 6 – In another crypto industry prosecution by DOJ, on April 29 crypto-mixed Samourai Wallet's Keonne Rodriguez was presented and released on bond in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Magistrate Court, where Inner City Press was the only media present.
Rodriguez, 35, was released on $1 million bond, to be secured by a property at 610 Wood Street, Harmony, PA 16037.
Jump cut to July 29, when an intent to change plea was docketed: "ORDER as to Keonne Rodriguez: Having been informed that the defendant wishes to enter a change of plea, it is hereby ORDERED that a change of plea is scheduled for July 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM (Signed by Judge Denise L. Cote on 7/29/2025)
Rodriguez' co-defendant William Hill was arrested in Portugal and would, DOJ said, be extradited.
Minutes later on July 29, notice that Hill was set to change plea, half an hour after Rodriguez.
They did, and on October 24 Rodriguez asked for a year and a day on November 6, and Hill asked for time served on November 7, both at 11
On October 31 the US Attorney's Office wrote in asking for five years on each defendant.
On November 6 Inner City Press went and live tweeted Rodriguez' sentencing, to five years
More detail and analysis on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
Hill is up on November 19...
On July 22, amid the US v. Storm / Tornado Cash trial (book - as of October 24 blocked by Amazon), Inner City Press went to Judge Cote's courtroom where she told the Samourai defendants to put their filings on the docket
It is now USA v. Rodriguez, et al., 1:24-cr-82 (Cote)
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