Alexey Pertsev Faces Indictment for Alleged Money Laundering
Alexey Pertsev, the developer of Tornado Cash, a popular crypto mixer, is currently facing an indictment for his alleged involvement in laundering up to $1.2 billion in cryptocurrency assets. This information comes from reports by DL News.
Charges Stemming from 36 Illicit Transactions
The Dutch prosecutors have been investigating Pertsev for his alleged participation in 36 illicit transactions. Among these cases, the highest amount involved was 175 ETH from the Axie Infinity-linked crypto protocol Ronin Bridge.
- Prosecutors suspect Pertsev of money laundering but have not provided specific details about the exact acts he has committed.
The list of illicit transactions also includes decentralized protocols such as Harmony and Nomad Bridge.
Pertsev’s lawyer, Keith Cheng, has stated that the prosecutors have described the money laundering charges in a general manner without specifying the exact acts Pertsev is accused of committing.
However, Dutch authorities claim that Pertsev has a history of involvement in money laundering crimes. This claim gains credibility when considering that Pertsev was previously arrested in August 2022 by the Fiscal Information and Investigation Service (FIOD) of the Netherlands for allegedly laundering $7 billion in cryptocurrencies.
Tornado Cash Receives US OFAC Sanctions
Prior to Pertsev’s arrest, Tornado Cash had already been sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the United States Treasury Department for its involvement in laundering several billion dollars. One organization accused of using Tornado Cash is a notorious North Korean hacking group known as Lazarus.
- Pertsev was arrested but later granted bail and released.
In August of the following year, Pertsev was arrested again, this time by the FBI, on money laundering charges. This arrest coincided with claims made by crypto digital detective ZachXBT, who had been monitoring a suspicious wallet linked to Tornado Cash since the beginning of 2023.
Throughout his trial, Pertsev has maintained his innocence and denied any involvement in money laundering or violations of money laundering securities since his initial arrest in 2022.
Pertsev’s trial is scheduled to begin on March 26 in the Dutch city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch.
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