Federal prosecutors in the United States have asked a Manhattan court to schedule a retrial for Roman Storm on two criminal charges that a jury failed to resolve during his trial last year, extending one of the crypto industry’s most closely watched legal battles.
According to court filings, the U.S. Department of Justice has proposed an October retrial on two conspiracy counts tied to the operation of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixing service that authorities claim was used to launder illicit funds.
Storm, one of the developers behind the privacy-focused protocol, previously faced multiple charges related to alleged money laundering and sanctions violations
In August 2025, a jury in the Southern District of New York reached a partial verdict but was unable to agree on two of the most serious charges, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions laws
The deadlock led the court to declare a mistrial on those counts.
Prosecutors have now formally asked the court to retry Storm on those unresolved charges. If convicted on both counts, Storm could face a combined maximum prison sentence of up to 40 years.
However, before any retrial can move forward, the court must first decide on a motion filed by Storm’s legal team seeking acquittal
The defense argues that the government failed to prove that Storm knowingly facilitated criminal activity through the Tornado Cash protocol.
The case has drawn significant attention from the cryptocurrency community and legal experts, as it raises broader questions about the liability of software developers who build decentralized tools
Supporters of Storm argue that holding developers criminally responsible for how open-source software is used could have far-reaching consequences for innovation in the blockchain sector.
Tornado Cash, which allows users to obscure the origin and destination of cryptocurrency transactions, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2022 after authorities alleged that the protocol had been used by cybercriminal groups to launder billions of dollars in digital assets.
The judge overseeing the case will determine whether Storm’s acquittal request has merit before deciding whether the retrial will proceed later this year.
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