Bitcoin Fog Founder Strongly Opposes 20-30 Years in Prison

Key Points:

• Bitcoin Fog founder Roman Sterlingov challenges a proposed 20 to 30-year prison term, calling it excessively harsh.
• Sterlingov’s lawyers argue that the sentencing is disproportionate and based on weak circumstantial evidence.
• A hearing will precede Sterlingov’s sentencing to address the government’s request to seize Bitcoin Fog-related assets.

Roman Sterlingov, founder of the Bitcoin cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, is fighting a possible 30-year prison sentence after being convicted on several counts of money laundering.

Read more: Roman Sterlingov Is Wrongfully Accused Of Operating Bitcoin Fog: Report

Bitcoin Fog Founder Challenges Proposal of 30-Year Sentence

Bitcoin Fog founder Roman Sterlingov was convicted earlier this year on charges of running the cryptocurrency laundering service that prosecutors said laundered more than $47 million in criminal proceeds.

In an August 15 filing, his legal team argued that the U.S. government’s recommended sentence of 20–30 years is “unwarranted” and “disproportionate” compared to similar cases.

According to prosecutors, Sterlingov allowed the laundering of about $400 million in Bitcoin from 2011 through 2021, tied to various crimes, including drug trafficking, identity theft, and cybercrime. Sterlingov’s defence team said that despite these allegations, the sentence recommendations from both the prosecution and Probation Office vastly exceed those imposed in comparable cases.

Court to Address Asset Seizure Before Sentencing

The memorandum on sentencing by the defense was 37 pages long. Their concern is what they called “cumulative effect” as a result of multiple sentencing enhancements that, they argue, punish the same conduct under different counts. But the case is very circumstantial, Sterlingov’s attorneys have stressed, such critical elements as server logs and private keys not presented during the trial.

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss has scheduled a hearing to address the government’s forfeiture actions, which include 1,354 dormant Bitcoins and a potential $395 million financial judgment related to Bitcoin Fog. The Bitcoin Fog founder’s sentencing date has been vacated, as he was originally set for sentencing on Aug. 21, pending the outcome of these additional arguments.