According to a recent court filing, William Lonergan Hill, one of the two founders of Samourai Wallet, has been granted bail by the U.S. government. Hill and the co-accused, Keonne Rodriguez, were arrested in April. The two founders were charged with operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and money laundering.
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According to the court letter, the U.S. government has agreed to grant bail to Samourai Wallet founder, William Lonergan Hill. The U.S. government had previously denied Hill, also known as TDev, bail upon the defense’s request to release the accused to his Portugal home. Parties revealed they had not yet agreed on the specific terms despite agreeing on his release.
U.S. government to release Samourai co-founder on bail
William Lonergan Hill (TDev) and Keonne Rodriguez were arrested earlier this year for operating Samourai wallet. The wallet was revealed to be unlicensed and had transacted over $2 billion in unlawful transactions. The wallet had also executed more than $100 Million in criminal proceeds.
Rodriguez and TDev allegedly knew about the illegal transactions of over $100 million from the Silk Road Hydra Market.
Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill Are Charged with Operating Samourai Wallet, an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business That Executed Over $2 Billion in Unlawful Transactions and Laundered Over $100 Million in Criminal Proceeds.
In coordination with law enforcement… pic.twitter.com/Yza6jTJbnc
— Rufas Kamau ⚡ (@RufasKe) April 24, 2024
Hill’s defense team stated in its letter dated July 3 that the U.S. government had agreed to grant their client bail. The team added that the parties disagreed on the specific bail terms. The terms disagreed upon included where the accused would spend his time after the release.
The defense argued that the developer should remain in Portugal with his family. Conversely, the prosecutors stated that they would prefer the accused to remain in Brooklyn, New York.
Hill’s co-accused, Rodriguez, pleaded not guilty to the two charges against him. Rodriguez was released on a $1 million bond pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
Hill’s family offer a hefty bail package
William Lonergan Hill’s family revealed they had offered a $2 million bond for his release. The family said they would offer their New York family home and $200,000 in cash. The developer’s defense team also proposed increasing the bail package to $3 million, including Hill’s family home in Europe. The team added the bail package would increase to $4.4 million if the accused were allowed to return to Portugal.
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According to the filing, TDev will contest the charges against him. The defense lawyer noted that the evidence against his client is voluminous. He added that the case is expected to include numerous pre-trial actions that will likely push the trial to 2025.
“The fact that Mr. Hill […] offered it openly for nine years evidences that they like the Senators also thought it was legal”.
Hill’s lawyer pointed out various arguments in the letter he wished to present against the prosecution’s case. He implied that Google could be a co-conspirator in the alleged crimes. He highlighted that the wallet was available on the Google App Store from May 2015 to April 2024, when the founders were arrested.
Cryptopolitan reporting by Collins J. Okoth
