Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill, the CEO and CTO of Samourai Wallet respectively, filed separate notices on Tuesday, expressing their intent to change their previous not guilty pleas. A hearing to formalize this change was scheduled in a New York federal court for Wednesday morning.
Keonne Rodriguez’s Document Reflecting His Plea Change
Source: CourtListener
Back in April 2024, both founders were indicted for allegedly operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiring to commit money laundering.
According to prosecutors, the Samourai Wallet protocol processed over $2 billion in illegal transactions, with some traced back to dark web platforms such as Silk Road.
Samourai Wallet is a privacy-centric Bitcoin wallet designed to anonymize transactions through advanced features such as CoinJoin, Ricochet, and Whirlpool.
Its primary function has been to obfuscate the trail of funds, making it harder to link transactions to specific individuals or entities.
The legal charges against Rodriguez and Hill are severe:
While the court documents did not clarify how the guilty plea would affect sentencing, it’s expected that the move could lead to reduced penalties through plea agreements.
Originally, the trial was scheduled for November 3rd, 2025. However, this shift in plea could bring about a significant change in the timeline and outcome of the legal proceedings.
In April 2025, attorneys for Rodriguez and Hill sought to dismiss the charges, citing an internal memo from Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche.
The memo stated that the Department of Justice (DOJ) would not pursue cases involving “unwitting violations” of regulations related to crypto mixers.
A month later, their legal team accused federal prosecutors of withholding crucial advisory opinions.
According to the defense, six months before the indictment, legal advisors had stated that Samourai did not require a money transmitter license. Neither motion succeeded in halting the prosecution.
Samourai Wallet is not alone in facing scrutiny from U.S. authorities. The Tornado Cash case, another high-profile crypto mixer prosecution, is unfolding simultaneously.
Roman Storm, co-developer of Tornado Cash, is currently on trial for similar charges: money laundering and sanctions violations. If convicted, he faces up to 45 years in prison.
Source: X (@rstormsf)
Privacy advocates argue that these cases threaten the future of open-source privacy tools and could set a dangerous precedent for DeFi innovation.
Samourai Wallet is a privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet known for mixing and anonymizing transactions using techniques like Whirlpool and CoinJoin.
The U.S. government charged them with conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
The trial was originally set for November 3, 2025, but may now be adjusted due to the plea change.
This case could have a lasting impact on the future of privacy tools in crypto, open-source software rights, and regulatory expectations in the DeFi space.
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