DOJ's $25 Million Crypto Forfeiture: Five Civil Complaints, Frozen Tether, No Defendants
On July 21, 2026, the Justice Department filed five civil forfeiture complaints against more than $25 million in cryptocurrency without naming a single defendant. Former DOJ prosecutors examine the Tether wallet freezes, the tracing gaps in the government's own pleadings, and the defenses open to exchanges, traders, and innocent holders.
Money Mule & Bulletproof Hosting Indictments | DOJ & OFAC 2026
In one week, DOJ charged the managers of a $43 million pig-butchering money mule network in Brooklyn, unsealed the Media Land bulletproof hosting indictment, and OFAC sanctioned VPN and cryptor providers. Former DOJ prosecutors break down the indictments, the knowledge element under 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), infrastructure-provider liability, and where the defense begins.
The AudiA6 Crypto Mixer Case: Money Laundering Charges Under 18 U.S.C. § 1956 and the Attribution Defense
Federal prosecutors charged the operators of the AudiA6 crypto mixer with money laundering conspiracy and sting money laundering after a five-year undercover investigation. The complaint traces $389 million in bitcoin but rests on six undercover transactions with unnamed operators. The central defense is attribution to the named individuals.