The plot thickens in Roman Storm’s trial! On July 21, his defense team raised the possibility of a mistrial after an FBI agent admitted they couldn’t trace the stolen assets through Tornado Cash. Sounds like the prosecution’s case is unraveling a bit, huh?
Journalist Matthew Russell Lee live-tweeted the dramatic courtroom moment when Storm’s lawyer, Brian Patton, suggested they might move for a mistrial. The reason? The FBI couldn’t follow the funds from the first witness, Katie Lin, to Tornado Cash. Yikes.
P.S. - after jury leaves, before they repair to "alternate jury room," Storm's lawyer Patton: Based on our research over the weekend, we can't find that any of Ms. Lin's fund went to Tornado Cash. We need to confer with Mr. Storm about moving for a mistrial
— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) July 21, 2025
Last week, Lin told the jury she lost her life savings in a pig-butchering scam and believed the stolen money passed through the crypto mixer co-created by Storm. But with the FBI unable to make that connection, Patton raised a red flag.
"No verifiable link to Tornado Cash means you can’t just toss in emotional testimony without proof," he argued.
Fair point, right? He suggested this could be grounds for a mistrial, given the lack of on-chain evidence.
Independent Research Challenges the Government's Tracing Efforts
The prosecutors, of course, aren’t backing down. They’re promising a second tracing expert will take over, but no word on whether they’ll show up in person or just send a report. The drama continues.
But wait, there’s more! This dispute wasn’t just about the FBI’s failure. MetaMask’s Taylor Monahan added some spice to the case by publishing a thread on July 18, pointing out that Lin’s funds never touched Tornado Cash or Coinbase. Instead, the scammer swapped Bitcoin for Ethereum and shuffled it through wallets they controlled. Monahan’s independent investigation challenges the government’s tracing efforts, adding fuel to the fire.
This first witness in Roman's trial immediately caught my attention bc the victim was a classic Pig Butchering case.
— Tay 💖 (@tayvano_) July 18, 2025
The only issue is....uh.....those scammers don't use Tornado Cash? And they never have?
So, like, wtf? https://t.co/27MlcXvc0z
Judge Katherine Polk Failla gave Storm’s defense team a bit of breathing room to discuss the mistrial, but the ball’s now in the prosecution’s court. Will they retry Storm on sanctions and money laundering charges related to Tornado Cash? Only time will tell, but for now, it all hinges on whether the new expert can find the link that the FBI couldn’t. Grab your popcorn, folks, this one’s far from over!
Kristian Koch
Disclaimer: All materials on this site are for informational purposes only. None of the material should be interpreted as investment advice. Please note that despite the nature of much of the material created and hosted on this website, HODL FM is not a financial reference resource, and the opinions of authors and other contributors are their own and should not be taken as financial advice. If you require advice. HODL FM strongly recommends contacting a qualified industry professional.
