The U.S. Division of Justice stated it has obtained authorized title to greater than $400 million in seized bitcoin and different property tied to Helix, a darknet mixing service.
Court docket order finalizes forfeiture
The DOJ stated Decide Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court docket for the District of Columbia entered a closing order of forfeiture on Jan. 21.
The order declared forfeited to the federal government cryptocurrencies, actual property, and different financial property beforehand seized from Larry Dean Harmon, Helix’s operator.
Helix processed 354,468 bitcoin
In response to courtroom paperwork cited by the DOJ, Helix processed at the least roughly 354,468 bitcoin between 2014 and 2017.
The division stated that quantity was equal to about $300 million in U.S. {dollars} on the time of the transactions.
Prosecutors stated Helix was utilized by darknet drug sellers to launder illicit proceeds, and that investigators traced tens of thousands and thousands of {dollars} from darknet markets to Helix.
Harmon’s plea and sentence
Harmon pleaded responsible in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
He was sentenced in November 2024 to 36 months in jail, three years of supervised launch, a forfeiture cash judgment, and forfeiture of seized property.
The DOJ stated Helix’s API allowed darknet markets to combine the mixer into bitcoin withdrawal programs.
The division added that Harmon additionally ran Grams, a darknet search engine designed to help main markets on the time.
The Justice Division stated in its announcement:
“Final week, the federal government obtained authorized title over greater than $400 million in seized cryptocurrencies, actual property, and financial property tied to the operation of the darknet mixing service, Helix.”