- Prosecutors in the Tornado Cash case used IRS agent testimony as they prepare to finish presenting their arguments.
- The agent stated that Roman Storm controlled funds moved through Tornado Cash, based on reviewed transactions from major crypto exchanges.
- Storm’s legal team challenged the credibility of the testimony, arguing the agent was not qualified to trace crypto funds or attribute wallet ownership.
- The main issue in the case is whether Storm could have prevented Tornado Cash from being used for laundering illicit funds.
- The defense will start its case after prosecutors rest, potentially calling medical experts and a Chainalysis witness.
Roman Storm, co-founder of crypto mixing service Tornado Cash, appeared in court this week as U.S. prosecutors near the end of their case against him. Special Agent Stephan George from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) testified that Storm controlled funds linked to Tornado Cash after tracking transactions from exchanges such as crypto.com and Binance.
According to Inner City Press, George’s testimony came after Storm’s lawyers tried to exclude his statements, arguing his background did not qualify him to trace criminal proceeds or link crypto wallet addresses to specific people. The testimony relied on messages between the Tornado Cash founders and detailed how funds moved from Binance to Tornado Cash.
Storm’s attorneys said in a court filing that while the agent had an accounting background, it did not make him an expert in tracing criminal crypto flows or determining wallet ownership. They also mentioned the possibility of asking for a mistrial due to concerns about previous trial testimony regarding stolen funds and whether they actually used Tornado Cash.
A central question in the case is whether Storm could have stopped illicit transactions by controlling the smart contract or discouraging criminal activity. Another government witness was expected to discuss whether he could modify Tornado Cash to limit illegal use, but mostly shared details about the project’s reaction to U.S. sanctions.
Roman Storm faces charges including money laundering, running an unlicensed money transmitting business, and violating U.S. sanctions. Prosecutors expect to finish their arguments soon, after which Storm’s defense will begin. His lawyers plan to call medical professionals and may bring in an expert from Chainalysis for their case.
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