The US government has assumed full legal ownership of more than $400 million in seized cryptocurrency, cash and real estate linked to Helix, which was once one of the most widely used bitcoin mixing services on the dark web.
A federal judge in Washington, D.C., entered a final forfeiture order on Jan. 21, transferring the assets to the government following the conviction of Helix operator Larry Dean Harmon. The seizure includes thousands of bitcoins, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and an Ohio mansion purchased during Helix’s peak operations.
Helix functioned as a cryptocurrency mixer, pooling and redirecting bitcoin transactions to conceal their origins and destinations.
Prosecutors say the service was created to serve darknet drug markets and was integrated directly into their withdrawal systems through an application programming interface.
Court records show that Helix processed approximately 354,468 bitcoins between 2014 and 2017, worth about $300 million at the time. Researchers tracked tens of millions of dollars from major darknet markets through the service. Harmon took a cut of each transaction as operating fees.
Harmon pleaded guilty in August 2021 to conspiracy to commit money laundering. After years of delays, he was sentenced in November 2024 to three years in prison, followed by supervised release. He was also ordered to confiscate the seized property and pay a money forfeiture judgment.
Authorities say Helix worked alongside Grams, a dark web search engine also operated by Harmon, which helped users locate illicit markets. Together, the services were part of the financial infrastructure that supported the darknet drug trade during that period.
Cash, a mansion in Ohio and millions of dollars in bitcoins
Among the seized assets was a 4,099-square-foot home in Akron, Ohio, purchased by Harmon and his wife in 2016 for $680,000. Automated estimates place its current value between $780,000 and $950,000, according to reports from Realtor.com.
The property sits on a 1.21 acre lot and includes several fireplaces, a backyard fire pit, and a hot tub. Federal officials say the Internal Revenue Service will sell the house at auction.
In addition to the real estate, prosecutors allegedly seized more than $325,000 in cash and approximately 4,500 bitcoins, according to Realtor.com, now valued at approximately $355 million at current prices.
“This case demonstrates that the dark web is not a safe haven for criminal activity,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement, adding that authorities will continue to pursue cyber financial crimes.
Harmon was reportedly released from prison in December 2025 through an early release program after completing drug rehab.
He has said he plans to restart a legitimate bitcoin education business and is looking for new housing following the seizure.
