Bitcoin Fog Operator Roman Sterlingov Files Sentencing Memorandum Seeking Below-Guidelines Prison Term
On Thursday, August 15, 2024, Roman Sterlingov, the Bitcoin Fog crypto mixing service operator, filed a memorandum ahead of his upcoming sentencing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
Sterlingov faces charges related to operating Bitcoin Fog, a crypto mixing service that allowed users to anonymize transactions by mixing Bitcoin. The Probation Office calculated Sterlingov’s sentencing guidelines range from life imprisonment, while the prosecution is seeking 30 years in prison.
However, in the memorandum, Sterlingov argued for a significantly lower sentence. He points out there were no identified victims of his alleged conduct and that restitution is not applicable in this case. Sterlingov also does not have any prior criminal history, making this his first offense.
The memorandum provides background on Sterlingov’s life. He was born in Russia in 1988 and immigrated to Sweden as a teenager with his mother. In Sweden, he was a good student interested in subjects like math and worked various jobs. He eventually became interested in cryptocurrency and Bitcoin after attending meetup groups focused on technology.
Sterlingov argues the guidelines range is disproportionately inflated due to overlapping enhancements that address different aspects of the same alleged conduct. He says aggregating all funds that ever passed through Bitcoin Fog unfairly attributes decisions by others to his own culpability. Based on the evidence, Sterlingov estimates the actual value of any laundered funds does not exceed $47 million.
The defense memorandum aims to demonstrate Sterlingov is unlike other high-profile crypto criminals who received lengthy sentences. It notes Ross Ulbricht, who ran the Silk Road dark web market, received life in part for arranging murders, unlike Sterlingov. Defendants involved in other crypto mixing and digital currency operations received far lower sentences than those proposed for Sterlingov.
In seeking a lenient sentence, the memorandum emphasizes Sterlingov’s history, character, and lack of criminal past. It includes letters of support describing him as intelligent and committed to others. If given a very lengthy sentence like 30 years, Sterlingov argues, it would create unwarranted disparities and be disproportionately punitive given he poses no ongoing threat.
Please contact BlockTribune for access to a copy of this filing.
