The expansion of cryptocurrencies leads to an unparalleled rate of cybercrime. Although decentralized, operators of digital assets must respect certain rules or face legal action. Larry Dean Harmon, the CEO of Coin Ninja, has been paying the costs for several months and when we thought the case was closed, the United States brought the case back to the table.
Cybercrime, back on the Larry Dean Harmon case
In 2021, Ohio resident Larry Dean Harmon pleaded guilty in United States court. The latter, accused of money laundering, admitted all the charges against him. CEO of bitcoin news outlet Coin Ninja, he operated Helix, a bitcoin (BTC) mixer allowing customers to send BTC without leaving a trace.
To carry out its operations, it used Helix coupled with Grams, a Darknet search engine. During his trial in August 2021, the latter admitted that Helix had partnered with many other Darknet markets to satisfy the demands of its customers. For the sentence, the government seized 4,400 bitcoins along with other properties.
However, no sentence has been set and in the meantime, Harmon is expected to serve a probationary period of at least three years. While the affair seemed forgotten, the American government on Wednesday disclosed a complaint against the principal concerned. In the latter, Matthew M. Graves, the State’s attorney, asks the Court to reduce the civil penalty imposed on Larry Dean Harmon.
In this case, he is instead offering her a judgment in money for an amount that she will determine. But also, any other remedy that the Court considers fair and appropriate. This complaint, brought on behalf of the United States Treasury and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) returns to the 2020 charges.
Cybercrime is becoming a very common phenomenon. The evolution of digital business is a serious problem. Because of this, the US government is taking this very seriously. After all the media hype of 2021, this new complaint could well take on other proportions. However, one still wonders what will be the fate of Larry dean Harmon.
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