Samourai Wallet Founders Face Potential Five-Year Prison Sentences Over Money Laundering Charges

U.S. prosecutors are seeking five-year prison terms for Samourai Wallet founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, alleging they ran a long-standing crypto mixing service used to launder billions of dollars in illicit funds. The Department of Justice (DOJ) points to the pair’s service helping launder over $237 million through nearly a decade of operations, highlighting the U.S. government’s tightening grip on tools that enhance cryptocurrency privacy. The DOJ claims this platform served as a haven for criminal activity ranging from drug trafficking and darknet markets to cybercrime and illicit material distribution.