Jurors in Roman Storm’s trial told the court they could not agree on every charge after four days of discussion with no full agreement.
In response, Judge Katherine Polk Failla issued an Allen charge, a formal request for the jury to review their positions again and try to find common ground.
Storm’s lawyer, Brian Klein, argued against the judge’s decision, according to an August 6 report by Inner City Press. He said it was clear the jury would not reach full agreement and suggested the court accept a partial verdict instead.
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However, prosecutors wanted to keep the talks going. Assistant US Attorney Thane Arad responded, “Let’s cross that bridge when we get there”. The judge supported the government’s view, which allowed the jury to continue.
This decision gave the trial more time and avoided an early mistrial. However, it also made clear that the jury had serious disagreements about parts of the case.
Later that day, the jury reached a decision on one charge. Storm was found guilty of taking part in a plan to run an unlicensed money transfer business.
This charge alone could bring a sentence of up to five years in prison. The verdict was delivered in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
However, the jury could not agree on two other charges: conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to help North Korea avoid sanctions.
On July 26, Storm requested additional funds to help cover his legal expenses. What did he say? Read the full story.
