A US court has sentenced Roman Sterlingov, the operator of the cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, to 12.5 years in prison for laundering over $400 million in digital assets from 2011 to 2021.
In March, a jury found him guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, and two counts related to operating an unlicensed money transmitting service. Sterlingov disagreed with their decision at the time.
On November 8, he expressed regret in court for “any possible harm” caused by his actions. According to Bloomberg, Sterlingov also promised to “become better.”
In addition to the prison sentence, he was ordered to pay $395.5 million and forfeit his share in the Bitcoin Fog wallet amounting to 1345 BTC (~$103 million). Authorities also seized cryptocurrencies worth $1.76 million from him.
“Roman Sterlingov operated the longest-running money laundering service, and today he has been brought to justice. In the farthest corners of the internet, he provided a haven for criminals of all kinds, from drug dealers to identity thieves, helping them preserve hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit gains,” stated Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco.
Earlier in May, Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev was found guilty of laundering $1.2 billion through a crypto mixer and sentenced to 64 months in prison.
In November, the trial of the platform’s co-founder Roman Storm was postponed to April 14, 2025.
Money laundering and sanctions violation charges in the US have also been brought against another mixer co-founder, Roman Semenov. He remains free but has come under sanctions.