Federal prosecutors pushed back against Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm’s latest attempt to get his criminal case dismissed.
Prosecutors filed a blunt, three-page letter firmly rejecting Storm’s attempt to use a recent high-court victory to dodge money laundering and sanctions charges on Storm.
Storm looks for Supreme court rulling
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment. In this case, the court decided that an internet service provider couldn’t be held liable for its users’ illegal music streaming just because it knew it was happening.
Storm’s attorneys wrote to the judge, arguing this ruling has a direct bearing on their case. They claimed that Tornado Cash is a neutral tool; Storm shouldn’t be held responsible for what criminals did with it.
DOJ says the comparison doesn’t hold
The DOJ’s response was sharp. They called the case inopposite, highlighting that Cox is a civil copyright case, while Storm faces heavy criminal charges. The DOJ argued that while Cox went out of its way to stop 98% of violations, Storm’s compliance measures were just misleading.
According to the DOJ, Storm wasn’t just a bystander. They allege he was personally aware that North Korea’s Lazarus Group was using Tornado Cash to wash $449 million stolen in the Ronin bridge hack. Prosecutors claim that during that specific incident, over 50% of the funds flowing through the mixer were from that single hack alone.
Prosecutors say Storm knew about Ronin hack activity
DOJ pointed to specific evidence of Storm’s awareness. According to the filing, Storm knew about the massive 2022 Ronin bridge hack the day it was announced. He allegedly expected Tornado Cash to be used to launder the stolen funds and did nothing to stop it. Over 1,751 transactions, roughly $449 million in Ronin proceeds flowed through the mixer. Prosecutors say at least 37% of all funds pass through Tornado Cash.
Roman Storm was originally arrested in 2023 and went to trial in August 2025. While a Manhattan jury convicted him of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, they deadlocked on the more serious charges of money laundering and sanctions evasion.
Storm’s supporters, including Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, have portrayed him as a respected builder of neutral privacy technology. Critics, however, point to Tornado Cash’s documented use by hackers and sanctioned entities as evidence that developers cannot simply look the other way.
Currently, Storm remains free on bail, but the pressure is mounting as a hearing to consider his motion will happen on April 9, 2026. Meanwhile, the DOJ is already seeking a retrial on the charges that ended in a hung jury, aiming for an October 2026 start date.
