news.bitcoin.com
Alexey Pertsev, a developer for Tornado Cash, has reportedly been indicted by prosecutors in the Netherlands. They accuse him of laundering $1.2 billion. Pertsev’s attorney confirmed the prosecutors’ intent to charge his client. According to Dutch prosecutors, while a crypto-mixing service is not “inherently illegal,” using it to launder criminal assets is punishable.
Dutch Prosecutors Flag Illicit Funds Transfer to Tornado Cash
Dutch prosecutors have reportedly indicted Alexey Pertsev, a developer of Tornado Cash, accusing him of laundering dirty money totaling $1.2 billion. Pertsev is scheduled to appear in court on March 26 to face charges of money laundering, which stem from the transfer of digital funds from decentralized protocols to Tornado Cash.
According to a report, Dutch prosecutors have identified 36 suspected illicit transfers of funds to the cryptocurrency mixer. One of the transfers is believed to involve the 175 ethereum (ETH) tokens that were stolen when Ronin Bridge was breached by hackers suspected to be backed by North Korea in the first half of 2022.
A few months after the breach, Dutch authorities announced the arrest of a 29-year-old man, accusing him of developing Tornado Cash. However, Pertsev, whose identity was not disclosed at the time, has denied the charges.
Crypto Mixers Not ‘Inherently Illegal’
Keith Cheng, the lawyer representing the Tornado Cash developer, confirmed that Dutch authorities still believe his client committed the alleged crimes but have yet to clarify Pertsev’s exact offence.
“Prosecutors are suspecting Pertsev of money laundering and they have described it in a general way, but they don’t specify which exact acts he has committed to take part in the criminal offence,” Cheng reportedly said.
Despite charging Pertsev with money laundering, Dutch prosecutors stated in their indictment that a crypto-mixing service itself is not “inherently illegal.” However, the issue arises for those using this service when it is used to mix criminal assets, as concealing the origin of criminal funds is punishable.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.