According to CoinDesk, PANews reported on April 30 that New York prosecutors are seemingly reassessing whether to drop the charges against Samourai Wallet co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill. Based on court documents submitted on Monday, both prosecution and defense jointly requested a 16-day extension from the judge to allow prosecutors to determine their next steps according to the new policy memo by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. In a memo on April 7, Blanche announced the dissolution of the Justice Department's crypto enforcement team (NCET) and instructed to cease prosecuting crypto exchanges, mixing services, and offline wallets that only violated regulations unintentionally or due to end-user behavior. The memo requires a review of all ongoing cases to check compliance with the new policy.
Rodriguez and Hill were charged in April 2023 with conspiracy to launder money and operating a money transmission business without authorization, facing up to 25 years in prison. Prosecutors accused their wallet of facilitating $2 billion in illegal transactions, generating $4.5 million in profits. The defense lawyers first cited Blanche's memo on April 10 to request dismissal, and both parties held a discussion on this matter on April 24.
