Samourai Wallet co-founder Keonne Rodriguez pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan courtroom on Monday to two criminal charges related to the creation and marketing of a privacy-focused bitcoin wallet app and coin mixing service.
Rodriguez, 35, and his Samourai Wallet co-founder William Lonergan Hill, 65, were arrested last week and charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years and five years, respectively.
Prosecutors allege that from 2015 until last week, when Samourai Wallet’s servers were seized, the app “facilitated more than $100 million in laundered money transactions” on illegal darknet markets, with “illegal transactions” totaling about $2 billion.
On Monday, Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses ordered Rodriguez released on $1 million bail, with his next hearing set for 2 p.m. May 14 in Manhattan. (CoinDesk)
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