Forfeited Bitcoin from Samourai Wallet Case to Remain in US Strategic Reserve, Confirms White House Crypto Advisor
Recent speculations surrounding the potential sale of Bitcoin (BTC) seized from the Samourai Wallet case by the US Marshal Service (USMS) have been put to rest. White House crypto advisor Patrick Witt has officially confirmed that these digital assets, totaling nearly $6.4 million, will not be liquidated but instead will be retained as part of the US Strategic Bitcoin Reserve.
DOJ Upholds Executive Order 14233
In a public statement on social media, Patrick Witt clarified that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has affirmed its decision in accordance with Executive Order 14233, signed by former President Donald Trump. This order mandates that Bitcoin obtained through criminal or civil forfeiture be preserved within the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve rather than being sold off. The seized Bitcoin, valued at approximately $6.4 million, originated from the co-founders of Samourai Wallet, a cryptocurrency mixer implicated in facilitating over $237 million in illicit transactions.
Samourai Wallet Founders Sentenced
This development follows the November sentencing of Samourai Wallet co-founders, Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergon Hill. Rodriguez, the company's CEO, received a five-year prison sentence, while Hill, the Chief Technology Officer, was sentenced to four years. Both were found guilty of operating a money transmitting business that knowingly processed funds from a range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, darknet marketplace operations, cyber intrusions, fraud, and even murder-for-hire schemes.
