Samourai Wallet’s founders face up to five years in prison after admitting to laundering $237 million, marking another major blow to crypto privacy tools.
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Posted November 4, 2025 at 9:05 am EST.
U.S. prosecutors submitted a sentencing memorandum Friday requesting 60 months imprisonment for Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill. The pair pleaded guilty in July to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Prosecutors allege Rodriguez and Hill operated a crypto mixing service that laundered at least $237 million in criminal proceeds between 2015 and April 2024. The illicit funds stemmed from drug trafficking, darknet marketplaces, cyber intrusions, fraud and murder-for-hire schemes. Hill admitted in his sentencing letter to inviting computer hackers and criminals to launder proceeds through Samourai.
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Federal guidelines suggest 168 to 210 months, but prosecutors cited a 60-month statutory maximum. The Probation Office recommended 42 months for each defendant. Rodriguez requested one year and one day, while Hill sought time served.
Both were arrested on April 24, 2024. Rodriguez faces sentencing Nov. 6, with Hill scheduled for Nov. 7. The case reflects a broader crackdown on crypto mixing services following Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm’s August conviction.
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