The brother of Helix founder Larry Harmon’s cryptocurrency mixer — Gary Harmon — pleaded guilty to stealing more than 712 BTC seized by the U.S. government.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 17, 2023. The obstruction of justice charge carries up to 20 years in prison.
In February 2020, Larry Harmon was arrested in the United States on suspicion of laundering more than $300 million through dark-net markets. Law enforcement authorities seized various assets from him, including a device used to store Bitcoin, but could not access the cryptocurrency.
Gary Harmon used his brother’s accounts and secretly transferred more than 712 BTC from the device to his address, thereby obstructing the seizure. He used two cryptocurrency mixers and spent part of the stolen funds on large purchases and personal expenses.
In August 2021, Larry Harmon pleaded guilty to laundering more than $300 million through Helix from 2014 to 2017. Gary Harmon agreed to the forfeiture of assets and several cryptocurrencies, including 647.41 BTC, 2.14 ETH and 17,404,400.64 DOGE. The value of the assets exceeds $12 million at the time of writing.
Earlier in autumn 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice filed suit against Larry Harmon for nonpayment of a $60 million fine, imposed on him by FinCEN.
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