In the USA they took up crypto-mixers
The US Attorney's Office has released Press release about the closure of the cryptocurrency mixing service Samourai Wallet
Cryptocurrency mixers (Crypto Blender, Crypto Mixer) are services that allow you to anonymize transactions and personal data on the blockchain.
The founders of the cryptocurrency mixing service were arrested and charged with money laundering and crimes related to the unlicensed transfer of money
Keonn Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are accused of operating Samourai Wallet, an unlicensed money transfer company that processed more than $2 billion in illegal transactions and laundered more than $100 million in criminal proceeds
In coordination with Icelandic law enforcement authorities, the Samourai web servers and domain (https://samourai.io/) were seized. In addition, an arrest warrant was issued for the Samourai mobile application in the Google Play store. As a result, the app will no longer be available for download from the Google Play Store in the US.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated: “As alleged, Keonn Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill were responsible for the development, marketing and operation of Samourai, a cryptocurrency mixing service that facilitated over $2 billion in illegal transactions and served as a haven for criminals to engage in large scale laundering of money. Rodriguez and Hill allegedly knowingly facilitated the laundering of over $100 million in criminal proceeds from Silk Road, Hydra Market, and numerous other computer hacking and fraud campaigns. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to relentlessly pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that use cryptocurrency to hide illegal activities.”
FBI Deputy Director in Charge James Smith said, “Adversaries use technology to evade detection by law enforcement and create an environment conducive to criminal activity. For nearly 10 years, Keonn Rodriguez and William Hill allegedly operated a mobile cryptocurrency mixing platform that provided other criminals with a virtual safe haven to secretly exchange illicit funds, facilitating over $2 billion in illegal transactions and $100 million in Darknet money. The FBI is committed to exposing hidden financial schemes and ensuring that no one can hide behind a screen and perpetuate financial wrongdoing.”
RODRIGUEZ, 35, of Harmony, Pennsylvania, and HILL, 65, a U.S. citizen arrested in Portugal, are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and one additional count of charges of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
