Today, developers of the popular Samourai Wallet, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, made a joint appearance in court in the Southern District of New York for a status conference.
This marked the first public appearance of the two developers together since they were charged by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business in April 2024. It was also the first time either of them had appeared in court since Hill’s bail release in July and Rodriguez’s initial court hearing in May.
The prosecution informed the court that they had provided extensive discovery materials to the defense, including business records, emails, social media data, and extractions from the seized devices of the developers. They mentioned having produced two batches of discovery so far and were preparing to release a third batch soon, signaling their readiness to proceed with the trial.
No Evidence Of Money Transmission
Rodriguez’s defense argued that it was premature to set a trial date as they were still reviewing the vast amount of discovery materials. They emphasized that they had not found any evidence to support the accusations of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business against Rodriguez and Hill.
Hill’s attorney highlighted the massive amount of data received as part of the discovery, comparing it to 75% of the Library of Congress’s information. He referenced a letter from Senators Lummis and Wyden questioning the DoJ’s interpretation of the FinCEN statute and proposed a motion to dismiss the charge, which was ultimately denied by the judge who scheduled a follow-up hearing for December.
Rodriguez’s Request For Bail Modifications
During the conference, Rodriguez’s lawyer requested two modifications to his bail conditions, seeking to remove home detention and loosen restrictions on cryptocurrency transactions, including funds from Samourai for legal fees. The defense argued that home detention was unnecessary and cited instances where Rodriguez had shown no intention of fleeing.
The prosecution countered by stating the severity of the charges and the potential sentence faced by Rodriguez, pointing to evidence of a possible escape plan found at his residence. Despite the defense’s arguments, the judge decided not to modify the bail conditions, urging both parties to proceed with the case.
Support for Rodriguez and Hill’s legal defense fund can be made through BPI’s P2P Rights Fund.