Profits Over Justice: The Disturbing Bitcoin Prosecution of Roman Sterlingov

Diese Veranstaltung wird auf Englisch durchgeführt. Deutsche Beschreibung am Ende.

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"The United States government wrongfully accuses Swedish citizen Roman Sterlingov of administering the crypto-mixer "Bitcoin Fog" and laundering $330 million of criminal proceeds through it over the course of a decade. However, there isn’t a single piece of evidence that Roman ever operated Bitcoin Fog. He was merely an innocent user of the service securing his privacy interests. Nothing about this case adds up except the profit motives of the investigators and companies involved. Roman faces 50 years to life in prison based on speculative, uncorroborated blockchain forensics conducted at desks thousands of miles away from Sweden. Denied bail, he has languished in jail for over two years awaiting his September 9, 2023, trial."

Hear Roman’s lawyers dissect this Kafkaesque nightmare and explain why everyone in the Bitcoin community should be concerned about this American prosecution gone awry.

Janine Roem will give an introduction about the growing sub-field of digital forensics, blockchain analysis by various commercial entities that are now being relied upon as key evidence in criminal prosecutions.

More background on this WIRED article: https://www.wired.com/story/bitcoin-fog-roman-sterlingov-blockchain-analysis/

About the speakers:

Tor Ekeland is the managing partner of Tor Ekeland Law, PLLC, where he leads the firm's Computer Law, Trial, and Appellate practices. He is well-known for representing hackers and white-collar defendants in federal criminal court and on appeal. Tor also advises businesses and individuals under investigation by the US Department of Justice and those seeking advice on compliance with US computer laws. Prior to starting his own firm, Tor worked at Sidley Austin, LLP in New York City, where he gained experience in US securities laws and complex commercial litigation. He has extensive experience representing clients in federal courts across the United States, dealing with the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), national security issues, and government surveillance. Tor is admitted to practice in various federal district courts and federal appeals courts, as well as the United States Supreme Court. He is frequently sought out by national and international media outlets for commentary on computer law issues.

Michael Hassard is an associate attorney at Tor Ekeland Law, PLLC. He is a member of the Computer Law and Federal Trials practice group and specializes in advising clients on federal litigation, federal agency investigations and enforcement actions, and federal criminal trials related to computer law. He has experience in managing matters at the intersection of computer and financial law, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), the Money Laundering Control Act (MLCA), the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and Blockchain guidelines. Before joining Tor Ekeland Law, Michael completed his Canadian articles at a boutique firm in Toronto and worked as a law clerk at a federal discrimination practice in Midtown Manhattan. He holds a law degree from Hofstra Law School and is admitted to practice in the State of New York and several United States District Courts.

Janine is an independent investigative journalist, privacy researcher, and educator on the topics of informational self-determination and (counter)surveillance. She is on the board of Open Sats and authors 'This Month in Bitcoin Privacy' Newsletter.
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Deutsche Beschreibung:

Die US-Regierung beschuldigt den schwedischen Staatsbürger Roman Sterlingov zu Unrecht, den Krypto-Mixer "Bitcoin Fog" zu verwalten und über einen Zeitraum von einem Jahrzehnt 330 Millionen US-Dollar an kriminellen Erlösen durch diesen gewaschen zu haben. Es gibt jedoch kein einziges Beweisstück dafür, dass Roman jemals Bitcoin Fog betrieben hat. Er war lediglich ein unschuldiger Benutzer des Dienstes, der seine Datenschutzinteressen sicherte. Nichts an diesem Fall ergibt Sinn außer den Gewinnmotiven der beteiligten Ermittler und Unternehmen. Roman steht aufgrund spekulativer, unbestätigter Blockchain-Forensik, die Tausende von Kilometern von Schweden entfernt durchgeführt wurde, 50 Jahre bis lebenslange Haft bevor. Er wurde ohne Kaution festgehalten und wartet seit über zwei Jahren auf seinen Prozess am 9. September 2023.

Hören Sie, wie Romans Anwälte diesen kafkaesken Albtraum auseinandernehmen und erklären, warum jeder in der Bitcoin-Community besorgt sein sollte über diese fehlgeleitete amerikanische Strafverfolgung.

Weitere Hintergründe in diesem Artikel auf Bitcoinblog.de: https://bitcoinblog.de/2023/04/03/entweder-er-ist-unschuldig-oder-der-perfekteste-verbrecher-aller-zeiten/