拉里·哈蒙 (Larry Harmon) 因通过 Helix 洗钱价值 3 亿美元的比特币而被判处三年监禁

俄亥俄州居民拉里·哈蒙 (Larry Harmon) 因通过暗网服务 Helix 洗钱价值超过 3 亿美元的比特币而被判处三年监禁

An Ohio resident has been sentenced to three years in prison for laundering over $300 million in Bitcoin through his darknet service, Helix, according to Bloomberg.

据彭博社报道，一名俄亥俄州居民因通过其暗网服务 Helix 洗钱超过 3 亿美元的比特币而被判处三年监禁。

The platform operated a tool designed to obscure the origins of cryptocurrency transactions, enabling users, primarily criminals, to move funds undetected, according to the U.S. Justice Department

据美国司法部称，该平台运行的工具旨在掩盖加密货币交易的起源，使用户（主要是犯罪分子）能够在不被发现的情况下转移资金

The service was active from 2014 to 2017, during which Harmon partnered with major darknet marketplaces like AlphaBay to process illegal transactions involving drug sales, stolen data, and counterfeit goods.

该服务于 2014 年至 2017 年期间活跃，在此期间 Harmon 与 AlphaBay 等主要暗网市场合作，处理涉及毒品销售、被盗数据和假冒商品的非法交易。

Unlicensed money-transmitting

未经许可的汇款

Harmon pleaded guilty in 2021 to operating Helix as an unlicensed money-transmitting business and conspiring to launder funds. By mixing over 350,000 Bitcoin (BTC), prosecutors said he facilitated illicit activity on a global scale. 

哈蒙于 2021 年承认将 Helix 经营为无证汇款业务并共谋洗钱。检察官称，他混合了超过 350,000 枚比特币 (BTC)，为全球范围内的非法活动提供了便利。

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell also ordered Harmon to forfeit $311 million, the value of the Bitcoin laundered through Helix. Previously, Harmon had been fined $60 million by the U.S. Treasury for violating anti-money laundering regulations.

美国地区法官 Beryl Howell 还命令 Harmon 没收 3.11 亿美元，即通过 Helix 洗钱的比特币价值。此前，哈蒙曾因违反反洗钱规定被美国财政部罚款6000万美元。

Darknet mixers like Helix appeal to criminals seeking to exploit the pseudonymous nature of cryptocurrencies. While Bitcoin transactions are recorded on a public ledger, mixers obscure their origins by breaking the link between sender and recipient, complicating law enforcement efforts to trace illicit activities.

像 Helix 这样的暗网混合器对试图利用加密货币的假名性质的犯罪分子有吸引力。虽然比特币交易记录在公共分类账上，但混合者通过破坏发送者和接收者之间的联系来掩盖其来源，使追踪非法活动的执法工作变得复杂化。

Harmon’s cooperation in other prosecutions, including the conviction of Roman Sterlingov, operator of the Bitcoin Fog mixing service, led to a reduced sentence. Prosecutors highlighted Harmon’s extensive assistance and expressed confidence that his case would deter similar operations​

哈蒙在其他起诉中的配合，包括对比特币雾混合服务运营商罗曼·斯特林戈夫（Roman Sterlingov）的定罪，导致了减刑。检察官强调了哈蒙的广泛协助，并表示相信他的案件将阻止类似的行动​

However, the fallout extended beyond Larry Harmon. After his arrest in 2020, authorities discovered his brother, Gary Harmon, used stolen credentials to recover Bitcoin stored in an IRS evidence locker, per Bloomberg. 

然而，影响超出了拉里·哈蒙的范围。据彭博社报道，在 2020 年被捕后，当局发现他的兄弟加里·哈蒙 (Gary Harmon) 使用被盗的凭证取回了存放在国税局证据柜中的比特币。

Gary was later sentenced to four years in prison for accessing and spending part of the seized cryptocurrency on luxury items.

加里后来因获取并使用部分扣押的加密货币购买奢侈品而被判处四年监禁。