Tornado Cash Dev Roman Storm Moves to Dismiss Indictment Over Crypto-Laundering Allegations

Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm is fighting to dismiss a criminal indictment that accuses him of conspiracy to commit money laundering and violate sanctions. Storm’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that his role in building Tornado Cash, a tool used to obscure cryptocurrency transfers, does not constitute money laundering. The motion also emphasized that Storm did not work directly with groups involved in money laundering activities, but simply published code accessible to anyone. Storm and fellow developer Roman Semenov were indicted last year for charges related to money laundering, unlicensed money transmission, and violating economic sanctions. The motion to dismiss highlights that Storm’s intent was to provide financial privacy to legitimate cryptocurrency users, not to engage in illegal activities. Additionally, the motion questions the characterization of Tornado Cash as a mixer or service, arguing that it is a set of smart contracts giving users control over their assets. Storm’s legal team has also filed motions to obtain evidence and suppress the seizure of Storm’s cryptocurrency holdings.