Dear Roman - I heard about your indictment. Good luck at today’s hearing
On April 29, 2021 - I walked you through Roman Sterlingov’s Complaint and explained why this case is of significance. Admittedly I thought I had published this article last week —but I was going through my writer dashboard console and realized this article was sitting in my draft queue. So apologies for the late reporting— I’m typically far more timely than this.
June 14, 2021 INDICTMENT
… as to Defendant ROMAN STERLINGOV (1) count(s) 1, 2, 3 - via DDC-ECF
Count one: 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(3)(B) - Money Laundering-
I shouldn’t laugh but the fact Sterlingov was indicted but it’s genuinely odd that the Grand Jury only handed down one count of money laundering —specially a November 21, 2019 transaction - because the Affidavit via my public drive —see page 6 which itemized the September thru November 2019 transactions/
As previously detailed in April 2021 the Criminal Complaint and Affidavit DDC-ECF - newly unsealed Criminal Complaint -last visited April 28, 2021 https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/doc1/04518479164 and DDC-ECF - newly unsealed Affidavit/Statement of Facts - last visited April 28, 2021 https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/doc1/04518479165 or via my public drive
And more fully detailed - explaining the examination of ten years of transactions and in that April 2021 article - noted the following
IRS-CI cyber analysts reviewed all inputs and outputs from BITCOIN FOG to identify bitcoins sent directly to BITCOIN FOG from known darknet markets and bitcoins sent from BITCOIN FOG to known darknet markets.
IRS-CI’s analysis determined BITCOIN FOG received approximately 486,861.69 BTC (approximately $54,897,316.44 at the time of the transactions) directly from darknet markets.
BITCOIN FOG sent approximately 164,931.13 BTC (approximately $23,690,956.28 at the time of the transactions) directly to darknet markets.
BITCOIN FOG sent or received more than $78 million in transactions involving known darknet markets, counting only direct transactions.
Count Two: 18 U.S.C. § 1960(a) Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business
…in the April 2021 Affidavit —records from FinCEN indicted that neither ROMAN STERLINGOV nor BITCOIN FOG was registered as a Money Services Business which is mandatory under federal law. Furthermore records from the District of Columbia Department of Insurance and Banking also revealed that neither ROMAN STERLINGOV nor BITCOIN FOG was licensed as a Money Transmitter under District of Columbia law, despite conducting transactions with persons based in the District of Columbia.
Count Three: D.C. Code § 26-1023(c) - Money Transmission Without a License;
D.C. Code § 26-1002(a) -License required - “Money transmission” is defined as “the sale or issuance of payment instruments or engaging in the business of receiving money for transmission or transmitting money within the United States, or to locations abroad, by any and all means, including but not limited to payment instrument, wire, facsimile, or electronic transfer.” D.C. Code § 26-1001(10). Under District of Columbia code, engaging in the business of money transmission without a license is punishable as a felony. D.C. Code § 26-1023(c).
MINUTE ORDER
… as to ROMAN STERLINGOV (1): It is hereby ORDERED that ROMAN STERLINGOV appear for an initial appearance on 6/16/2021 at 2:00 p.m. before Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui. The hearing will be conducted by video teleconference; call-in instructions will be provided to counsel prior to the hearing. Counsel for the United States is directed to ensure that counsel for Defendant has received this Order and will provide the information to Defendant. If Defendant does not have counsel, counsel for the United States is directed to contact the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia and provide their office with the information contained in this Order
See updated docket report as to Defendant Roman Sterlingov
Initial Appearance (rescheduled) June 23, 2021
Set/Reset Hearings as to ROMAN STERLINGOV: Initial Appearance continued to 6/23/2021 at 02:00 PM in Telephonic/VTC before Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather.
and with that - you should be up to date-ish and if you’re asking me what comes next - TBD - it’s possible Roman might want to seriously consider negotiating a plea agreement but I might be getting ahead of my skis. So for now we sit and wait for the facts. As previously mentioned in April 2021 I wrote extensively on Roman Sterlingov and spent a decent amount of time archiving his digital footprint. And unlike some I don’t withhold documents- Sterlingov Folder nor do I think my readers should have to pay for these public documents - thus why I create a public folder on my public drive where I dump the various documents.