"The U.S. government has taken full legal ownership of more than $400 million in seized cryptocurrency, cash, and real estate tied to Helix, once one of the most widely used bitcoin mixing services on the darknet. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., entered a final order of forfeiture on Jan. 21, transferring the assets to the government following the conviction of Helix operator Larry Dean Harmon."
"Helix functioned as a cryptocurrency mixer, pooling and rerouting bitcoin transactions to obscure their origins and destinations. Prosecutors say the service was built to serve darknet drug markets and was directly integrated into their withdrawal systems through an application programming interface. Court records show Helix processed roughly 354,468 bitcoin between 2014 and 2017, worth about $300 million at the time."
"Harmon pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. After years of delays, he was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in prison, followed by supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit seized assets and pay a forfeiture money judgment. Authorities say Helix worked alongside Grams, a darknet search engine Harmon also operated, which helped users locate illicit marketplaces."
U.S. authorities obtained legal title to more than $400 million in cryptocurrency, cash, and real estate tied to the Helix bitcoin mixer and its operator, Larry Dean Harmon. A federal forfeiture order transferred thousands of bitcoin, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and an Ohio mansion to the government after Harmon’s conviction. Helix pooled and rerouted bitcoin to obscure transaction origins and was integrated via an API into darknet drug market withdrawal systems. Court records show Helix processed roughly 354,468 bitcoin from 2014 to 2017, about $300 million at the time. Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from major darknet marketplaces through Helix. Harmon pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, was sentenced to three years in prison in November 2024, and was ordered to forfeit assets and pay a forfeiture judgment. The forfeited property includes a 4,099-square-foot home in Akron, Ohio, purchased in 2016.
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