Key Takeaways:
- Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill plan to plead guilty to charges tied to their crypto mixing service, reversing their earlier not guilty pleas.
- The duo faces up to 25 years in prison for allegedly laundering over $2 billion through unlicensed money transmission.
- Their plea follows failed legal efforts to dismiss the case based on DOJ guidance and allegedly withheld evidence.
Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, co-founders of the privacy-focused Samourai Wallet, plan to plead guilty in a federal case involving their crypto mixing service.
Initially pleading not guilty in April 2024, the two now intend to change their pleas, with a hearing scheduled for July 30 in Manhattan.
🇺🇸 UPDATE: Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill will plead guilty to U.S. charges tied to their crypto mixer.
— Bitcoin World News (@BitcoinWorldN) July 30, 2025
They’re accused of laundering $2B+ in Bitcoin, including $100M linked to darknet markets. Faces up to 25 years in prison.#SamouraiWallet… pic.twitter.com/CGHVXJSwEh
Prosecutors allege that Samourai facilitated over $2 billion in illicit transactions, including activity tied to black markets like Silk Road.
Rodriguez and Hill face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business – together carrying up to 25 years in prison.
Their previous attempts to dismiss the case, citing a DOJ memo and alleged withheld guidance, were unsuccessful.
The platform, like other crypto mixers, aimed to obscure fund origins by blending transactions.
The case parallels that of Roman Storm, a Tornado Cash developer facing similar charges. Privacy advocates fear these cases may criminalize open-source privacy tools and stifle innovation in decentralized finance.
The impact of Rodriguez and Hill’s guilty pleas on their sentencing remains unclear, as their trial was originally set for November 3.
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