US prosecutors seek five-year prison terms for Samourai Wallet founders

U.S. prosecutors are seeking five-year prison sentences for both Samourai Wallet founders, alleging they developed and marketed a crypto mixing service that helped launder hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds.

The prosecutors submitted a sentencing memorandum on Friday, requesting 60 months’ imprisonment for both Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill.

“For nearly a decade, Rodriguez and Hill owned and operated a massive money laundering service known as ‘Samourai Wallet,’ which laundered millions of dollars in criminal proceeds on behalf of its customers,” the filing said.

According to the filing, at least $237 million in illicit proceeds — stemming from drug trafficking, darknet marketplaces, cyber intrusions, fraud, murder-for-hire schemes, and one website for illicit material involving minors — were laundered through Samourai between 2015 and April 2024. During this period, Rodriguez worked as co-founder and CEO of Samourai, and Hill served as co-founder and CTO.

The prosecutors added that Hill admitted in his sentencing letter that he invited “computer hackers and other criminals” to launder their crime proceeds through Samourai.

Sentencing this week

In June 2025, a grand jury issued a superseding indictment against Rodriguez and Hill, charging them with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. On July 30, both Rodriguez and Hill pleaded guilty to the latter charge under separate plea agreements, according to the filing.

Prosecutors calculated an offense level of 35 for both defendants, corresponding to a sentencing range of 168 to 210 months under federal guidelines. However, the filing concluded that the applicable sentence is 60 months’ imprisonment, as that is the statutory maximum for a violation of Section 371.

The Probation Office recommended a sentence of 42 months for each defendant. Rodriguez requested a sentence of one year and one day, and Hill sought a sentence of time served, meaning he asked for no additional jail time, according to the filing. The Samourai founders were both arrested on April 24, 2024.

Rodriguez is set to be sentenced on Nov. 6, while Hill’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

Roman Storm

The demand for a five-year sentence reflects a broader crackdown by U.S. prosecutors on crypto mixing and privacy services.

In August, a jury in Manhattan found Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm guilty on one charge of operating an unlicensed money transmitter, while it did not reach a verdict on Storm’s money laundering and sanctions charges.

The verdict sparked backlash from the crypto community, with advocates — including the Ethereum Foundation and the Solana Policy Institute — donating to aid Storm’s legal defense.

As of today, Storm remains free on bail while his attorneys pursue a post-trial motion for acquittal on all three charges. Storm could face up to five years of imprisonment on the money transmission conviction if the motion fails.