The U.S. DOJ finalizes a $400M asset forfeiture tied to Helix crypto mixer, marking a major darknet money laundering case.
The U.S. Department of Justice has finalized the forfeiture of more than $400M in assets. The assets were connected to Helix, a darknet cryptocurrency mixing service. Prosecutors stated that Helix played a huge role in the money laundering of illegal online marketplaces.
DOJ Secures Legal Control Over Helix-Linked Assets
According to a statement from the DOJ released Thursday, a final court order was issued last week. The order gave the government legal ownership of seized assets linked to Helix operations. These assets were cryptocurrencies, real estate holdings, and financial accounts.
🇺🇸DOJ SEIZES $400M IN CRYPTO AND ASSETS
The U.S. Department of Justice has finalized the forfeiture of over $400 million in assets tied to Helix, a darknet mixer accused of laundering illicit funds.
A final court order grants the government ownership of seized crypto, real… pic.twitter.com/TTSsh3jxIL
— Coin Bureau (@coinbureau) January 30, 2026
The assets were initially seized from Larry Dean Harmon, who operated Helix. Helix had processed cryptocurrency transactions totaling more than $300M between 2014 and 2017. Authorities said the service aided users in hiding the sources of illegal funds.
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Harmon, in August 2021, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced in November 2024 for 36 months in prison. The sentence also included three years of supervised release and forfeiture penalties.
On Jan. 21, Judge Beryl A. Howell imposed the final forfeiture order. The ruling officially transferred the ownership of the assets to the U.S. government. The case was taken up in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
Court documents called Helix one of the most popular darknet mixing services. Online drug dealers massively used the platform to launder profits. Investigators said Helix handled about 354,468 BTC during its time of operation.
At the time, those transactions in Bitcoins were worth close to $300M. Much of the cryptocurrency flowed from or to the darknet drug markets. Harmon is said to have retained a percentage as transaction fees and commissions.
Investigators traced tens of millions of dollars from darknet markets to Helix. The platform also cooperated with Grams, a darknet search engine developed by Harmon. Both services were used to support major darknet markets at the time.
Multi-Agency Investigation Targets Crypto Laundering Networks
Senior DOJ officials unveiled forfeiture with federal law enforcement leaders. The IRS Criminal Investigation unit and the FBI Cyber Division were involved in the investigation. Several agencies worked together over a number of years.
The IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office were the lead agencies in the investigation. They were assisted by the Justice Department’s Office of the International Affairs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio also assisted.
International cooperation was essential in the case. Authorities from Belize gave crucial help with the investigation. Coordination was through the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan.
The investigation was also coordinated with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Meanwhile, trial attorneys from CCIPS and national security cyber units led the prosecution efforts. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Blaylock Jr. represented the District of Columbia.
CCIPS continues to conduct crime scene investigations of cybercrimes worldwide as part of law enforcement partnerships. Since 2020, CCIPS has won more than 180 cybercrime convictions. Court orders have brought back over $350M in victim funds.
The Helix forfeiture points to rising enforcement against crypto laundering services. Regulators continue targeting platforms allowing for illicit financial activity. The case indicates tighter control around privacy-oriented crypto tools.
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