Law of Code

Today’s podcast covers the case of Roman Sterlingov, a 33-year-old Swedish-Russian national, was arrested by Internal Revenue Service criminal investigators at the Los Angeles airport and was accused of creating and operating Bitcoin Fog, a bitcoin “mixing” service that the US Justice Department claims Sterlingov used to enable $336 million in money laundering.

I’m joined by J.W. Verret, an Associate Professor at George Mason and an expert witness who testified in the case, and Roman’s defense counsel: Tor Ekeland, a trial and appellate lawyer known for representing hackers and white collar defendants, as well as Michael Hassard, an Associate with Tor Ekeland Law.

[2:05] The history of Bitcoin Fog

[4:19] Why Roman Sterlingov was investigated

[10:24] The charges against Roman

[12:00] Universal jurisdiction

[19:40] Blockchain tracing as expert evidence.

[32:07] The policy framing of money laundering and crypto

[38:18] Financial privacy

[48:00] Roman's life since the charges

& much more.

You can contribute to the defense fund at the website for Tor Ekland Law.

Disclaimer: Jacob Robinson and his guests are not your lawyer. Nothing herein or mentioned on the Law of Code podcast should be construed as legal advice. The material published is intended for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only. Please seek the advice of counsel, and do not apply any of the generalized material to your individual facts or circumstances without speaking to an attorney.