After more than three months of detention in the Netherlands, the developer of Tornado Cash, Alexey Pertsev had an appointment before the prosecutor Martine Boerlage. The defendant has been imprisoned since August on suspicion of money laundering. He allegedly embezzled almost a billion dollars worth of crypto via the Tornado protocol. This laundered money would have been used to support North Korean pirates. Since then, he has continued to proclaim his innocence. His last hope of getting out of prison before the end of this year did not happen.
Tornado Cash’s Alexey Pertsev won’t be free until 2023
If he counted on the indulgence of the Dutch prosecutor Martine Boerlage to find his freedom, Alexey Pertsev, the developer of Tornado Cash, will have to revise its plans. Indeed, the court did not follow up on his desire to leave. The facts of which he is accused seem more serious than what we had expected for a few weeks. Last August, this Russian residing in the Netherlands was charged on suspicion of crypto money laundering to fund North Korean pirates.
In the aftermath, the US Treasury was using its sanctioning power against Tornado. The platform would have, according to the American institution, helped to launder more than a billion dollars worth of crypto. The court will make no concessions in this case. The developer of Tornado Cash is said to be a leak risk.
Before this hearing on Tuesday, Martine Boerlage had never spoken of money laundering. Moreover, it did not communicate enough on the subject, even in its press releases. Pertsev’s argument that Tornado Cash is a decentralized protocol beyond his control is unconvincing. The magistrate intends to keep him in prison at least until February.
Conclusion
In short, this decision is controversial. The Tornado Cash developer’s lawyer accuses the judges of incompetence. After the trial, he reportedly said, “It’s clear to us that these judges aren’t as knowledgeable on the subject as they should be… At the moment, the case law regarding criminal activity relates only to bitcoin mixers.” … It is very important that the court understands that Tornado Cash is something different”.
Receive a digest of news in the world of cryptocurrencies by subscribing to our new service of daily and weekly so you don’t miss any of the essential Tremplin.io!
