U.S. District Judge Denise Cote handed down the 48-month sentence in the Southern District of New York after Hill pleaded guilty in July to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, a deal that dropped a broader money laundering conspiracy charge. Prosecutors argued Hill and co-founder Keonne Rodriguez positioned Samourai Wallet’s privacy tools—particularly Whirlpool and Ricochet—as attractive to criminal users, contributing to as much as $237 million in illicit-linked transactions moving through the platform. While Rodriguez received the full five-year maximum on Nov. 6, the judge said Hill’s age and a recent autism spectrum disorder diagnosis warranted a downward variance. The court also ordered the forfeiture of proceeds.
The defense sought time served, citing Hill’s extradition-related detention in Portugal and claiming his autism contributed to his acts. Cote ultimately imposed a sentence between the government’s request and the Probation Office’s recommendation of around 42 months. Hill must self-surrender by Jan. 2, 2026, to begin serving his term, which includes three years of supervised release. The ruling arrives as policymakers and developers continue to debate the liability of open-source privacy tool creators, with the DOJ framing the case as a response to significant criminal abuse and many privacy advocates viewing it as a broader test of financial privacy software.
- What sentence did William Lonergan Hill receive? He was sentenced to four years in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
- What charge did Hill plead guilty to? He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.
- Why did the judge reduce the sentence from the maximum? The court cited Hill’s age and recent autism diagnosis as mitigating factors.
- When must Hill report to prison? He must self-surrender on Jan. 2, 2026.
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