The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a retrial for Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm on unresolved money laundering and sanctions charges. A jury deadlocked on these counts last year while convicting Storm on a conspiracy charge. In an update, Storm stated prosecutors want a new trial scheduled for October 2026. The case is a focal point in debates over developer liability for open-source code and financial privacy tools.
Federal prosecutors have requested a new trial for Roman Storm. They aim to resolve money laundering and sanctions charges after a jury deadlocked on them last year. The initial four-week trial in the Southern District of New York resulted in a conviction only for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
Storm revealed the government’s retrial request in a social media update. He questioned the move, stating, “The government’s response? Try again to make writing code a crime.” The case is widely seen as a test for developers of privacy-preserving technology in the crypto sector.
The developer pointed to recent policy shifts he views as contradictory to the DOJ’s action. He referenced a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump and a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, who acknowledged lawful uses for mixers. Storm also noted the U.S. Treasury has lifted sanctions on Tornado Cash.
Storm now faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the two pending conspiracy counts. He could also receive up to 5 years from his previous conviction. “The 2 counts = up to 40 years in federal prison. For writing open-source code. For a protocol I don’t control. For transactions I never touched,” he wrote in his post.
He concluded the update by appealing for financial support to continue his legal fight. Storm called on supporters who value financial privacy or view code as speech to contribute.
