U.S. DOJ finalizes forfeiture of over $400M in crypto, real estate, and funds tied to the Helix darknet Bitcoin mixer used to launder illicit proceeds.
Last week, the U.S. government secured legal ownership of more than $400 million in seized cryptocurrency, real estate, and cash connected to Helix, a darknet cryptocurrency mixing service. Helix functioned by pooling digital currency from multiple users and routing it through complex transaction chains to conceal the origin, destination, and ownership of the funds.
The assets were originally seized from Larry Dean Harmon, Helix’s operator. Between 2014 and 2017, Helix processed more than $300 million in cryptocurrency transactions. Harmon pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and, in November 2024, was sentenced to 36 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a forfeiture money judgment, and the forfeiture of seized assets. On Jan. 21, U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell entered a final forfeiture order, formally transferring the assets to the government.
Court records show that Helix was among the most widely used darknet mixing services and was heavily relied upon by online drug traffickers to launder illegal proceeds. The platform processed approximately 354,468 bitcoin—worth about $300 million at the time—much of which originated from or was sent to darknet drug marketplaces. Harmon earned commissions and fees by retaining a portion of each transaction.
Harmon also developed Helix alongside Grams, a darknet search engine designed to connect with and support major darknet marketplaces. Helix’s application programming interface (API) allowed these markets to integrate the mixer directly into their bitcoin withdrawal systems. Investigators were able to trace tens of millions of dollars in illicit funds from darknet markets to Helix.
The forfeiture was announced by Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Guy Ficco, and FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Brett Leatherman.
The investigation was led by the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. Authorities in Belize—including the Attorney General’s Ministry and the Belize Police Department—also provided critical support, coordinated through the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network assisted in the effort.
CCIPS works with domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute cybercrime. Since 2020, the section has secured more than 180 cybercrime convictions and obtained court orders returning over $350 million to victims.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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