The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has finalized the forfeiture of more than $400 million in cryptocurrencies and other assets linked to Helix, a darknet mixing service in the early Bitcoin era, according to a statement released Thursday.
The assets were captured from Larry Harmon, a Helix operator who processed transactions from 2014 to 2017. The cryptocurrency mixer is designed to hide the source and destination of Bitcoin (BTC) associated with darknet markets.
The forfeiture follows a Jan. 21 order from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia formally transferring ownership of the property to the government. The final court ruling gives the government legal title to seized digital assets, real estate and financial assets related to Helix’s operations.
This development marks the legal endpoint of one of the most vital early criminal cases involving Bitcoin mixers to come before US courts. The case illustrates how major cryptocurrency enforcement actions can take years to fully resolve, even after the criminal conduct ends.
Helix has processed hundreds of thousands of Bitcoins
According to the Justice Department, Helix processed at least 354,468 Bitcoins during its operations, worth approximately $300 million at the time of the transaction. Prosecutors linked the activity to drug markets on the obscure web intended to launder illicit proceeds.
Harmon also ran Grams, a search engine designed to serve the major darknet markets operating at the time.
Investigators said the Helix application programming interface allowed the marketplaces to integrate the mixer directly into their Bitcoin payout systems, enabling large-scale money laundering.
The Justice Department said investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix.
Related: CertiK combines $63 million in Tornado Cash deposits with a $282 million portfolio compromise
Forfeiture finalized years after the verdict
Harmon was arrested in February 2020 and pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. In November 2024, he was sentenced to three years in prison.
The court then ordered Harmon to forfeit assets worth more than $400 million. An order issued last week finalized the forfeiture, giving clear legal title to the U.S. government.
As Cointelegraph previously reported, his sentence was reduced after cooperating with investigators, including testifying in the Bitcoin Fog case against Roman Sterlingov.
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