Crypto Launderer Kept Identity ‘Hidden in the Fog,’ US Alleges

A Russian-Swedish national ran a crypto mixing service that served as a critical link in helping move tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets known mostly for selling illegal drugs, a prosecutor alleged at the start of the man’s trial.

Roman Sterlingov operated Bitcoin Fog, an “online money laundering service,” which jumbled tokens together from different owners to make it difficult to trace transactions, Christopher Brown said in his opening statement in Washington federal court. Sterlingov took steps to make sure his role in starting the mixer “remained hidden in the fog,” Brown added.

But Sterlingov’s attorney, Tor Ekeland, ...