- Helix processed over $300M in crypto, helping criminals hide transactions across darknet markets and earn fees.
- Agencies like IRS-CI and FBI, with Belize’s help, coordinated to trace and reclaim the illicit assets.
- The case shows cybercrime is complex, but law enforcement can track and seize even large cryptocurrency operations.
The U.S. government has taken legal control of more than $400 million in assets linked to Helix, a notorious darknet cryptocurrency mixer. The seizure includes cryptocurrencies, real estate, and other monetary assets, marking one of the largest forfeitures tied to darknet operations.
As per the release, Larry Dean Harmon ran Helix, a service that handled over $300 million in cryptocurrency between 2014 and 2017. The platform helped criminals hide where their money came from and where it was going. The government stepped in after Harmon admitted in 2021 that he conspired to launder money and was sentenced in 2024.
Helix didn’t just handle crypto. The assets the government seized show just how much the platform was used to support illegal activities. Harmon also built Grams, a darknet search engine, and made Helix work directly with major darknet markets. This allowed users to withdraw bitcoin easily through Helix’s system.
As a result, Helix became a key tool for moving money from drug sales on the darknet. Court records show the service processed roughly 354,468 bitcoin. Harmon took a cut as his commission while helping criminals transfer funds anonymously.
Investigation and Coordination Across Agencies
The investigation was a collaboration of different US government agencies, including the IRS Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI in Washington D.C. The investigation was also helped by the Belize government, particularly the Belize Attorney General and police.
The highest government officials in the US, including the Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, IRS-CI Chief Guy Ficco, and the FBI’s Assistant Director Brett Leatherman, announced the final seizure of the assets. The lawyers in the US Justice Department’s cyber and national security divisions handled the cases, indicating the extent of expertise required in the handling of cybercrime cases.
The Justice Department pointed out that the US cybercrime team, CCIPS, has successfully prosecuted over 180 criminals and recovered over $350 million for the victims of cybercrime since 2020. The Harmon case is an example of the extent of sophistication that has been reached in darknet activities and the difficulties encountered in the tracing of cryptocurrency for illegal activities.
