Roman Sterlingov, the founder of the longest-operating cryptocurrency mixer on the darknet, received a prison sentence of 12 years and 6 months from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Details of the Transactions
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Sterlingov was accused of laundering hundreds of millions of dollars through a cryptocurrency mixer called Bitcoin Fog over a decade.
Nature of the Charges
Prosecutors indicated that Sterlingov conducted approximately 1.2 million Bitcoin (BTC) 
$89,855 transactions using Bitcoin Fog from 2011 to 2021, with an estimated value of around 400 million dollars during that period.
Resources and Legal Process
U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves stated that Sterlingov’s operation of the mixer facilitated illegal activities.
“Today’s sentence clearly shows that those who assist online payments for illegal activities will face severe penalties. This case also further demonstrates that we have skilled investigators and prosecutors to hold operators of dark web sites accountable.” – Matthew M. Graves
Sterlingov was acquitted by the competent court on charges of money laundering conspiracy, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and unlicensed money transmission.
In addition to his prison sentence, Sterlingov will forfeit assets valued at 395.5 million dollars, and 1.76 million dollars in cryptocurrency and cash will be seized. Furthermore, he will lose assets worth 103 million dollars in a Bitcoin Fog wallet containing approximately 1,345 BTC.
Sterlingov’s sentencing is regarded as a significant step in combating online financial crimes, indicating that stronger measures will be implemented against such activities.
