Samourai Wallet lawyers and U.S. prosecutors have jointly requested an extension for their respective pretrial motions after the Department of Justice (DOJ) shifted its stance on digital asset litigation earlier this month, an April 28 court filing shows.
Samourai Wallet Founders Push To Drop Case
According to a Monday letter addressed to U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman of the Southern District of New York, legal representatives for Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill are asking for a 16-day extension after previously drafting a letter requesting dismissal of the case earlier this month.
“The Defendants believe that a continuance of the pretrial motions schedule is warranted to permit Defendants to avoid the significant expense of preparing their motions while the Government determines its position in response to the Defendants’ letter,” lawyers for the crypto executives state.
Rodriguez and Hill originally sent the indictment dismissal request on April 10, just three days after DOJ Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memo stating that the agency would halt regulatory-focused digital asset cases.
“The Justice Department will no longer pursue litigation or enforcement actions that have the effect of superimposing regulatory frameworks on digital assets while President Trump’s actual regulators do this work outside the punitive criminal justice framework,” the memo reads.
A Shift In U.S. Crypto Policy
The unofficial stay in proceedings could be a positive indicator for Samourai Wallet’s fate after Hill and Rodriguez were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in April 2024.
U.S. prosecutors alleged that the duo facilitated over $2 billion in illicit transactions, including $100 million in money-laundering transactions tied to dark web markets.
Both Hill and Rodriguez could face up to 25 years behind bars for the crimes, though the DOJ’s recent shift in crypto policy may alter their fate.
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