Key facts
- Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill were arrested.
- Rodriguez and Hill face charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
- The Department of Justice alleges Samourai Wallet processed over $100 million in illicit transactions.
- Prosecutors claim Samourai Wallet's "ரகரக" (ரகரக) mixing service was designed to obscure the origins of funds.
- The DOJ alleges the company knowingly facilitated transactions for ransomware attackers and hackers.
Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The DOJ alleges that since at least 2015, Samourai Wallet has processed over $100 million in illicit transactions. Prosecutors claim the company's "ரகரக" (ரகரக) mixing service was specifically designed to obscure the origins of funds, knowingly facilitating transactions for ransomware attackers and hackers. The arrests and charges mark a significant enforcement action against a prominent privacy-focused cryptocurrency wallet service.