Roman Sterlingov Sentenced to 12.5 Years for Laundering $400M Through Notorious Bitcoin Fog Mixer

Nov 9, 2024, 03:03 AM

Roman Sterlingov, a dual Russian-Swedish national and operator of the notorious darknet cryptocurrency mixer Bitcoin Fog, was sentenced today to 12.5 years (150 months) in prison for money laundering conspiracy. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Sterlingov laundered over $400 million in cryptocurrency since 2011 through Bitcoin Fog, the longest-running bitcoin money laundering service on the darknet. The service was used to anonymize transactions tied to illegal activities, including the sale of illegal drugs on darknet markets. Sterlingov's sentencing marks a significant crackdown by U.S. authorities on the use of cryptocurrency mixers to facilitate illicit activities.