Keonne Rodriguez frames conviction as politically motivated enforcement and urges executive clemency
Keonne Rodriguez, co-founder of privacy-focused crypto wallet Samourai, has issued a public appeal for a presidential pardon as he prepares to begin serving a federal prison sentence. In a social media statement released days before reporting to custody, Rodriguez characterized his conviction as an example of politically driven law enforcement and argued that his case reflects broader tensions between regulators and crypto innovation.
Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one felony count of operating an unlicensed money transmission business. As part of the plea agreement, he was sentenced to five years in federal prison. Another senior executive associated with Samourai received a four-year sentence after pleading guilty to related charges. Prosecutors alleged the platform enabled illicit financial activity by failing to comply with U.S. registration and compliance requirements.
Rodriguez has maintained that his actions resulted in no identifiable victims and that the charges were disproportionate to the conduct involved.
Claims of Political Targeting
In his appeal, Rodriguez argued that his prosecution stemmed from what he described as a “weaponized” justice system under the prior administration. He cited what he views as an anti-innovation stance toward privacy-enhancing financial tools and accused the courts of applying the law unevenly to emerging technologies.
The public message directly appealed to the current president, expressing hope for a pardon grounded in principles of fairness, civil liberties, and technological freedom.
Recent years have seen several high-profile pardons involving figures connected to digital assets and financial technology. These cases have fueled debate over executive clemency as a corrective to aggressive enforcement, particularly where emerging industries are involved.
Disclaimer
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