The US government has officially seized over $400 million worth of assets including crypto, real estate, and cash in connection with a darknet bitcoin mixing service called Helix.
According to prosecutors, Helix processed at least 354,468 bitcoins, mostly linked to darknet drug markets, and was accused of being a popular tool for criminals to launder money. The service charged fees on transactions and allowed direct integration into the bitcoin withdrawal systems of black market platforms via API.
Helix operator Larry Dean Harmon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In November 2024, Harmon was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release after serving his sentence, and was ordered to forfeit significant assets as per court ruling.
The US Department of Justice stated that the case is part of a broad crackdown on cybercrime, in which the agency has secured hundreds of convictions and recovered hundreds of millions of dollars related to murder cases and money laundering involving digital assets in recent years.
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