Samourai Devs First Court Hearing: Prosecution Promises 'Substantial Evidence,' TDev Still In Portugal
The Southern District of New York held its first hearing on the DOJ's indictment against Samourai Wallet developers Keonne Rodriguez and William Lonergan Hill.
- The prosecution indicated that it is almost ready to share evidence for the trial and is prepared to proceed whether or not both defendants are present, reported Frank Corva.
The prosecution mentioned they are still extracting data from Rodriguez's confiscated electronic devices but will provide significant discovery from the information obtained so far. They also noted that Rodriguez has yet to hand over a 2-terabyte hard drive, without specifying its contents.
- The judge ruled that Rodriguez would remain under house arrest and scheduled the next hearing for September 4, 2024, at 11:30 AM EST.
I attended the first hearing for the #Samourai Wallet case earlier today on behalf of @BitcoinMagazine and briefly spoke with one of the defendants, Keonne Rodriguez, after the hearing.
— Frank Corva (@frankcorva) May 28, 2024
Here's a recap of what I learned: pic.twitter.com/QZN4Ape0CZ
- According to Corva, Rodriguez's attorney plans to file a motion to dismiss the indictment, arguing that non-custodial service providers should not be classified as money transmitters because users maintain full control of their assets.
- Only Rodriguez and his attorney, Michael Krause, attended the hearing. Hill remains under arrest in Portugal, and has yet to respond to an extradition request from the US government.
- L0la L33tz, an independent journalist at The Rage, recently sent an inquiry to the Portuguese police requesting more information about Hill's status, but no useful information has been received.
"I just called the Policia Judiciaria, and their stonewalling is insane. After identifying myself as a journalist, the officer's tone completely changed. She told me I was not entitled to any information and even refused to give her name. I have never experienced anything like this," said the journalist.
- "SNDY gave some infos today (see @frankcorva) but its definitely below expectations for press freedom in a EU country - especially as I don't see how simply giving the same infos NY gave today would jeopardize the extradition process," L0la L33tz added.
- To support the Samourai Wallet developers in this case, consider donation to the P2P Rights Foundation here.
