DOJ Pushes for Retrial of Tornado Cash Developer Roman Storm

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked that Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm be put on trial anew on charges of money laundering and sanctions violations.

Last year, a jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the two counts after a four-week hearing in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) presided over by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.

Storm Faces Retrial in 2026

The same jury convicted Storm of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money laundering operation, but hit a deadlock on the more serious charges. Now, as Storm revealed in an update on social media, prosecutors have asked Judge Failla to schedule a retrial in October 2026 to try to settle the unresolved points. He questioned the move, stating,

The Tornado Cash case, along with that of Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, has long been a point of contention in the crypto community, with many viewing it as a direct attack on developers who build privacy-preserving technology.

According to supporters, open-source coders should not be held responsible for how others use their technology. But on the other hand, regulators claim that the mixing service knowingly took part in large-scale money laundering and sanctions evasion.

In his X post, Storm pointed to what he sees as contradictions in the government’s approach. He believes that the DOJ’s request was made despite there being a more favorable policy climate for the crypto industry in the U.S.

The developer specifically mentioned a statement by U.S. President Donald Trump declaring that the “war on crypto is over” and a memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, in which he said that the DOJ is “not a digital assets regulator” and would not target crypto mixers for the actions of their end users.

Storm’s post also referenced the U.S. Treasury’s decision to lift sanctions on Tornado Cash, as well as a recent report to Congress under the GENIUS Act that acknowledged lawful crypto users can rely on mixers for financial privacy.

40-Year Prison Sentence

The 36-year-old now faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the two undecided conspiracy counts and a sentence of up to 5 years from his previous ruling.

He also believes that the prosecutors are simply pushing for a different outcome in the case.

The post concluded with him appealing for financial support and a vow to keep fighting for freedom and the rights of other developers. Storm has called on anyone who values financial privacy or believes that writing code is a form of speech to contribute, emphasizing that “this is the moment.”

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