The founder of the longest-running crypto mixer on the darknet has just been sentenced to twelve years and six months in prison.
In a statement, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) said Roman Sterlingov has been convicted of operating the cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, which laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in digital assets over a decade.
Prosecutors say the 36-year-old operated Bitcoin Fog from 2011 to 2021 when it more than 1.2 million Bitcoin (BTC) worth approximately $400 million at the time of the transactions.
The DOJ says the funds largely came from darknet marketplaces and criminal activity related to illegal narcotics, computer crime, identity theft and other illegal acts.
Sterlingov was convicted earlier this year after a month-long jury trial in which he was found guilty of money laundering, money laundering, operating an unlicensed money transmission business and transferring money without a license.
Says U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia:
“Today’s sentence sends an unmistakable message: those who assist criminals with online payments for their illegal activities will face severe penalties. This prosecution also provides further evidence that we have the skilled investigators and talented prosecutors needed to hold those who operate these darknet sites accountable.”
In addition to the prison sentence, Sterlingov was ordered to pay a $395.5 million forfeiture and forfeit $1.76 million in cryptocurrency and monetary assets. He was also ordered to forfeit his interest in a Bitcoin Fog wallet approximately 1,345 BTC worth over $103 million.
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