In a final blow to one of the dark web’s most successful money-laundering operations, the United States government has officially gained ownership of over $400 million in assets. These funds, comprising digital currencies, real estate, and cash, are linked to the notorious dark web service Helix.
For your information, Helix operated as a cryptocurrency mixer. This is essentially an online blender that mixes different people’s bitcoin to hide the source of the money and who really owns it. Between 2014 and 2017, the service was a favourite for online drug dealers looking to hide their profits. Helix processed at least 354,468 bitcoins at the time, which was then worth about $300 million, though today’s values are significantly higher.
The Architect of the Operation
The service was run by Larry Dean Harmon, who designed Helix to work seamlessly with major darknet marketplaces. According to the US Department of Justice (DoJ), Harmon built an API, a technical bridge, that allowed darknet markets to plug Helix directly into their payment systems. Harmon even created a search engine called Grams to help users find illegal goods
Harmon didn’t do this for free; he took a small cut of every transaction as a commission. After pleading guilty in 2021, Harmon was sentenced in November 2024 to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On 21 January 2026, Judge Beryl A. Howell signed the final order that officially handed these multi-million-dollar assets over to the government.
A Family Affair
It is worth noting that this case has seen its fair share of drama. As Hackread.com reported in 2023, Larry’s brother, Gary James Harmon, tried to steal some of the wealth. While Larry was under investigation, Gary used his brother’s credentials to access digital wallets that the government had already seized but couldn’t yet unlock due to additional security features.
Gary managed to move 712 bitcoin, worth roughly $4.8 million at the time, using the money to fund a life of luxury. Gary’s luck eventually ran out; he was caught after posing for a photo in a bathtub full of cash, and was sentenced to four years and three months in prison in April 2023 for trying to “covertly transfer” the funds and obstruct justice.
This final court order marks the end of a massive international effort involving the FBI, the IRS, and even the Ministry of the Attorney General in Belize. More importantly, the DoJ’s cybercrime teams have helped return over $350 million to victims since 2020.