U.S. Prosecutors Seek Extension in Samourai Wallet Case Amid DOJ Policy Shift

According to Cointelegraph, U.S. federal prosecutors and the co-founders of Samourai Wallet have requested additional time from the court to consider dismissing the case following changes in the Justice Department's approach to crypto enforcement. Lawyers representing Samourai Wallet CEO Keonne Rodriguez and Chief Technology Officer William Hill submitted a letter on April 28 to Manhattan federal judge Richard Berman, seeking a 16-day extension for pretrial motions. This request comes after an April 7 memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche led to the dissolution of the Justice Department’s crypto team. The defense team had previously reached out to Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton on April 10, advocating for the case's dismissal. On April 24, 2025, defense counsel met with prosecutors and their supervisors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to discuss the matter. The letter emphasized the need for a continuance to prevent the defendants from incurring substantial costs in preparing motions while the government assesses its stance. Prosecutors agreed to the adjournment without commenting on the case's merits. Rodriguez and Hill face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, to which they pleaded not guilty in April 2024. Blanche’s memo clarified that the Department of Justice does not serve as a digital assets regulator and will cease enforcement and investigations, except those targeting individuals who exploit digital asset investors or use digital assets for criminal activities. The current schedule for motions in the Samourai Wallet case is set for May 13, with responses due by June 10 and replies by June 24. The proposed extension would shift these dates to May 29 for motions, June 26 for responses, and July 10 for replies, without affecting the trial date scheduled for early November. This development is part of a broader trend under U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which has seen numerous crypto-related cases dismissed due to a favorable stance toward the industry. On April 9, SafeMoon CEO Braden John Karony, facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering, referenced Blanche’s directive in his attempt to have his case dismissed. Additionally, on April 28, the DeFi Education Fund petitioned the White House to drop charges against Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm, urging an end to the previous administration's efforts to criminalize open-source software development.