Department of Justice cites Bitcoin Fog ruling in Roman Storm case

Federal prosecutors have filed a motion in the case of Tornado Cash developer Roman Storm, arguing that a recent appeals court ruling regarding Bitcoin Fog supports the government's position on legal venue. In a filing to Judge Katherine Polk Failla in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice cited a September 25 decision by the D.C. Circuit that upheld the conviction of Bitcoin Fog operator Roman Sterlingov.

Prosecutors contend that just as undercover transactions in Washington, D.C. established proper venue for Sterlingov, transactions conducted by a Tornado Cash user from a Manhattan apartment establish sufficient venue for Storm’s money-laundering and unlicensed money-transmission conspiracy charges in New York.

Storm, who was convicted by a Manhattan jury in August 2025 of conspiring to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, is currently seeking an acquittal. The judge is still considering his motion, which challenges the venue of the trial. If certain charges remain pending, a potential retrial on deadlocked counts is scheduled for April 2027.