Judge Bars Sanctions and Van Loon Verdict From Roman Storm’s Tornado Cash Trial
The ruling sets strict evidence boundaries ahead of a July 14 trial where prosecutors will press money laundering charges over alleged North Korean financing.
Overview
- Judge Failla has barred any mention of the Van Loon v. Treasury verdict from the trial.
- References to OFAC’s August 2022 sanctions and their March 2025 delisting are precluded unless prosecutors can produce a so-called “unicorn” document.
- The court approved evidence from Tornado Cash co-founder Alexey Pertsev’s phone obtained via Dutch government cooperation and FBI review.
- Prosecutors may introduce how Roman Storm profited—selling $12 million in TORN tokens and purchasing multiple homes—to support money laundering charges.
- The four-week trial begins July 14 in Manhattan as prosecutors allege Tornado Cash facilitated laundering for North Korea’s Lazarus Group under unlicensed money-transmitting laws.