Security News in Brief: Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating Darknet-Based Bitcoin ‘Mixer’ That Laundered Over $300 Million

Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division

WASHINGTON – An Ohio man pleaded guilty today to a money laundering conspiracy arising from his operation of Helix, a Darknet-based cryptocurrency laundering service. According to court documents, Larry Dean Harmon, 38, of Akron, admitted that he operated Helix from 2014 to 2017. Helix functioned as a bitcoin “mixer” or “tumbler,” allowing customers, for a fee, to send bitcoin to designated recipients in a manner that was designed to conceal the source or owner of the bitcoin. Helix was linked to and associated with “Grams,” a Darknet search engine also run by Harmon. Harmon advertised Helix to customers on the Darknet to conceal transactions from law enforcement.

Security News in Brief: Justice Department and DHS Publish Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Make Asylum Process More Efficient and Ensure Fairness

Source: United States Department of Justice 2

In a key step toward implementing the Administration’s blueprint for a fair, orderly, and humane immigration system, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are publishing a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would amend current regulations to improve the processing of asylum claims.

Security News in Brief: Man Sentenced to 33 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping and Assaulting his Ex-Wife

Source: United States Department of Justice News

TULSA, Okla. – A man who kidnapped and assaulted his ex-wife in April 2017 was sentenced today in federal court, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Randy Alan Hamett, 64, of Choctaw, to a total of 396 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. She further ordered the defendant to pay $4,075 to the victim for medical costs incurred.