US Legal professional Jay Clayton, the previous chairman of the SEC and head of the Southern District of New York, has requested a re-trial of Twister Money developer Roman Storm on fees of conspiracy to commit cash laundering and evade sanctions.
The requested date for the re-trial is October 5-12, 2026.
Clayton filed a two-page letter confirming his prosecution is keen to deliver Rely 1 and Rely 3 of the unique indictment again earlier than a brand new jury.
Rely 1 was a conspiracy to commit cash laundering. Right here, the US authorities alleged Storm knowingly helped criminals conceal over $1 billion in stolen crypto by Twister Money, together with lots of of thousands and thousands from a Ronin hack involving North Korea’s Lazarus Group.
Though not up for jury re-trial, Rely 2 entails a conspiracy to function an unlicensed cash transmitting enterprise. A Manhattan jury convicted Storm in August 2025 on Rely 2.
Nonetheless, Storm filed a post-trial movement beneath Prison Rule 29 which is due for a court docket to rule someday quickly, at the same time as early as April 9, 2026. Storm hopes to achieve acquittal on Rely 2 on a authorized technicality.
A Rule 29 movement asks a choose to declare that trial proof was legally inadequate. Authorized sufficiency of proof is a constitutional minimal for sustaining a conviction.
The check for authorized sufficiency is whether or not a rational trier of truth discovered the important parts of the offense past an affordable doubt. Rule 29 acquittals are uncommon however attainable.
Additionally up for re-trial, Rely 3 concerned a conspiracy to violate sanctions. Particularly, prosecutors claimed Storm stored working Twister Money after the US Treasury sanctioned the protocol in August 2022.
After 5 days of deliberation, jurors deadlocked on the cash laundering and sanctions counts. In consequence, the case was a partial mistrial.
Storm’s legal professional Brian Klein mentioned after the primary trial that he anticipated “full vindication.” The protection has continued to struggle on First Modification, venue, and sufficiency of proof grounds.
Storm stays free on a $2 million bail. April and October will probably be crucial months for him this 12 months.
