Samourai Wallet’s lawyers have alleged that federal prosecutors withheld crucial advice stating that the firm did not require a license before charging executives at the crypto mixing service months later. In a letter to a Manhattan federal court dated May 5, lawyers for Samourai co-founders Keonne Rodriguez and William Hill revealed that US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) representatives had informed them six months prior to the charges that, under FinCEN’s guidance, the Samourai Wallet app would not qualify as a “Money Services Business” requiring a FinCEN license. However, the prosecutors went on to charge Rodriguez and Hill with operating such a business without a license six months later. The letter claimed that prosecutors were obligated to share their discussions with FinCEN over Samourai two weeks after unsealing charges, but they suppressed this information for over a year, only disclosing it on April 1, 2025. The prosecutors charged Samourai CEO Rodriguez and its technology chief Hill with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and money laundering conspiracy in February 2024. Samourai’s mixing service involved blending crypto from multiple users to obscure its origins, allegedly aiding over $2 billion in illegal transactions and facilitating money laundering transactions worth over $100 million from online black markets and scammers. Both Rodriguez and Hill pleaded not guilty. The lawyers stated that they would seek a dismissal of the charges, arguing that the executives lacked fair notice and believed they were acting lawfully. Prosecutors and Samourai sought more time to consider potentially dropping the case after the Justice Department eased its crypto enforcement. If the case proceeds, the lawyers indicated they would renew their bid for dismissal based on FinCEN’s guidance that Samourai did not qualify as a money transmitter, thus could not be prosecuted for not having a license.