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Tornado Cash's Alexey Pertsev Denied Bail Ahead of Appeal
In May, Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison.
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Alexey Pertsev, co-founder of Tornado Cash, sought bail to prepare for his appeal after being found guilty of money laundering in May. On Friday, a Dutch court denied his request, saying his imprisonment wouldn’t obstruct his ability to prepare his defense.
What's the scoop?
- Previous Verdict: In May, Pertsev was sentenced to 64 months in prison for laundering billions through Tornado Cash from 2019 to 2022.
- Legal Challenges: While Pertsev’s lawyer stressed the need for tools like a computer in the defense, given the technical nature of the case, this request was also denied.
- Support and Advocacy: Ameen Soleimani, Pertsev’s friend and founder of the decentralized stablecoin HAI, launched JusticeDao to support Pertsev’s legal defense. Even if Pertsev’s appeal is accepted, he will remain imprisoned for at least a year while his defense is prepared.
Bankless take:
Pertsev’s denial of bail and continued imprisonment underscore the continued assault on privacy in crypto globally. Further, the court’s targeting of the developer who created the software as the person to pay the price for criminal use sets an unbelievably risky standard. Their refusal to provide Pertsev bail also demonstrates an unwillingness to undo their mistake.
Tornado Cash’s Alexey Pertsev Sentenced to 5+ Years in Prison on Bankless
He was convicted on money laundering charges.
David C