A developer for the Samourai Wallet app, Keonne Rodriguez, has entered a plea of not guilty to criminal charges and will remain under home incarceration until his trial.
According to a docket entry on April 26, Rodriguez’s bail conditions include a $1 million personal recognizance bond that must be secured by May 14. Two other individuals are required to co-sign the bond, which will be backed by property in Pennsylvania.
In addition to home incarceration, Rodriguez will be subject to pretrial supervision and location monitoring technology as directed by pretrial services. He is only allowed to travel within specific districts in New York and Pennsylvania, and their connecting areas.
Other restrictions imposed on Rodriguez include obtaining approval before conducting any cryptocurrency transactions, being prohibited from working for or associated with Samourai Wallet, and not being able to open bank accounts without approval. He is also banned from possessing firearms or weapons and from contacting his co-defendant William Lonergan Hill without the presence of counsel.
Rodriguez’s speedy trial time has been excluded until May 14.
Authorities arrested and charged Rodriguez in the US on April 24, while beginning an extradition process against Hill, who was arrested in Portugal and has not yet appeared in court. Both Rodriguez and Hill are facing charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business, each carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.
It is alleged that Rodriguez and Hill conducted illegal transactions totaling $2 billion in Bitcoin and facilitated $100 million in money laundering transactions from dark web markets through Samourai Wallet. They are accused of collecting millions of dollars in fees.
In response to the charges, authorities took down the Samourai Wallet app by seizing its website and Google Play app store listing.
