Tornado Cash Developer Appeals Money Laundering Conviction
Alexey Pertsev, the Tornado Cash developer who was recently found guilty of money laundering by the s-Hertogenbosch court in the Netherlands, has filed an appeal against his conviction.
The court spokesperson confirmed that Pertsev has submitted an appeal. However, it remains unclear whether the appeal has been approved at this stage.
Key points:
- Alexey Pertsev files an appeal with the s-Hertogenbosch Court of Appeals following his money laundering conviction.
- The appeal process could take several months before the first hearing takes place.
- Pertsev has the option to request to await the appeal trial at home instead of serving his prison sentence immediately.
- The court found Pertsev guilty of facilitating money laundering through the Tornado Cash platform between July 2019 and August 2022.
The appeal process is expected to be lengthy. Additionally, the court spokesperson indicated that it could take several months before the first hearing occurs.
Also read: Two Brothers Indicted For $25 Million Ethereum Blockchain Heist
Tornado Cash Developer escorted to prison
In the meantime, Pertsev has the opportunity to request permission to await the appeal trial at home, rather than commencing his 64-month prison sentence immediately. After the verdict on Tuesday, authorities escorted Pertsev to prison to start his sentence.
The conviction of Alexey Pertsev raised concerns about the legal implications for developers involved in creating and maintaining privacy-focused tools like Tornado Cash.
The platform, which allows users to obscure the origin and destination of their cryptocurrency transactions, has been a subject of controversy due to its potential for facilitating illicit activities.
Also read: North Korea Laundered $147.5 Million Via Tornado Cash: UN
According to the translated verdict reviewed by CoinDesk, the court stated that “Tornado Cash does not pose any barrier for people with criminal assets who want to launder them.” This observation played a crucial role in the court’s decision to find Pertsev guilty of the money laundering activities as charged.
Prior to the trial, the indictment revealed Pertsev’s habitual involvement in money laundering from July 9, 2019, to August 10, 2022.
The court determined that Pertsev should have, at the very least, suspected the criminal origins of the illicit transactions facilitated through the Tornado Cash platform during this period.
