The person at the center of this case
United States financial system and sanctions enforcement
Cold Case · Open
3 years waiting · since 2023
ROMAN SEMENOV
Justice for United States financial system and sanctions enforcement — the trail went cold in 2023, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🎯
suspect
Lead #1Where is Roman Semenov currently located and what is his current operational status?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What specific technical infrastructure did Semenov create and maintain for Tornado Cash?
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contact
Lead #3Who were Semenov's co-conspirators in founding and operating Tornado Cash?
Roman Semenov is wanted by the FBI for his alleged role as a founder of Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer service that enabled untraceable transfers of digital assets. The service allegedly facilitated over $1 billion in money laundering, including hundreds of millions in transactions for the North Korean Lazarus Group in violation of U.S. sanctions. Semenov and his co-conspirators allegedly profited from the scheme while knowingly processing sanctioned transactions; his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Case
#852
United States District Court, Southern District of New York; Federal Bureau of Investigation
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
💡
clue
Lead #4How did Semenov profit from the service and where are those proceeds located?
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location
Lead #5What is the significance of Semenov's ties to Turkey, Dubai, and Moscow in relation to his whereabouts?
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Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business; Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act Roman Semenov is wanted for his alleged involvement in criminal activities regarding conspiracy to commit: money laundering, sanctions violations, and money service business violations. Semenov is allegedly one of the founders of the Tornado Cash service, a cryptocurrency mixer that allowed its customers to engage in untraceable transfers of cryptocurrency.
Semenov and his co-conspirators allegedly created the core features of the Tornado Cash service, paid for critical infrastructure to operate the service, promoted the service, and made millions of dollars in profits from operating the service. The Tornado Cash service was ultimately used to launder more than $1 billion in criminal proceeds.
In April and May of 2022, the Tornado Cash service was allegedly used by the Lazarus Group, a sanctioned North Korean cybercrime organization, to launder hundreds of millions of dollars in hacking proceeds. Semenov and his co-conspirators allegedly knew that the Tornado Cash service they were operating was engaging in these sanctions-violating transactions.
They allegedly continued to operate the Tornado Cash service and facilitate hundreds of millions of dollars in further sanctions-violating transactions, helping the Lazarus Group to transfer criminal proceeds from a cryptocurrency wallet that had been designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control as blocked property. A federal arrest warrant was issued by the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, New York, New York, on August 21, 2023, after Semenov was charged federally with Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business; and Conspiracy to Violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
Remarks: Semenov has ties to Turkey; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Moscow, Russia.
Timeline of Events
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2022-04
Lazarus Group sanctions violations begin
Tornado Cash allegedly used by North Korean Lazarus Group to launder hundreds of millions in hacking proceeds
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2022-05
Continued sanctions violations
Tornado Cash service continued processing sanctioned transactions from designated blocked property wallet
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2023-08-21
Federal arrest warrant issued
U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York issued warrant for Semenov's arrest on charges of money laundering conspiracy, unlicensed money transmitting, and sanctions violations
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:April 1, 2022
Last Updated:September 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:April 1, 2022
Last Updated:September 12, 2026