What role did a tumbler play (or not play) in Caze's asset seizure?

edit: forgot the s in Cazes' in the title. My apologies.

Reading through the excerpts about LE using blockchain analysis from alphaback to track the bloackchain back to Cazes (and used as a justification to sieze his assets), was this because they physically obtained access to the server and were able to trace from the point of origin (AB) back to his personal accounts? If he had used a tumbler, would that have broken the link, or they already had the end wallet address as well (likely on his computer when they raided)?

I've always known if you didn't randomize the transactions LE could just assume that the .0477783 going in is connected to the .0477783 going out, even though they wouldn't "technically" be connected in the blockchain. So a while back sites like helix implemented the randomization of fee and transactions to help address the ability to "guess" correctly the input and output? Was that simply not used by Cazes, or are we all falsely thinking our currency trail is un-traceable following exchange -> clearnet wallet-> tumbler -> darknet wallet -> market/vendor?

TL;DR did Cazes use a tumbler and if he did, how did he fuck up on it? (no randomization?)


Comments


[13 Points] AgoraMarket:

The biggest problem for vendors/admins isn't tumbling, it's cashing out or laundering large amounts of cryptocurrency. This goes for any coin including Monero.

You will attract notice anywhere when you cash out six figures' worth of bitcoins (or seven or eight figures, as in admin's case). Or six figures of Monero for that matter. Once you and your identity are on the radar via your cashing out, it can be trivial to find something illegal you're doing, especially with surveillance. Cazes was an idiot: an unemployed 26-year-old guy somehow possesses millions of dollars worth of property and cars... Really?

If he had any sense (he didn't), he would have quietly amassed coins in the background while running AB. No cars, no fancy lifestyle. Then pull the plug on AB after you have $10 million or whatever, continue living quietly for 5 or 10 years, let statute of limitations run out, then steadily cash out and live off that the rest of your life.


[5 Points] None:

He's Canadian I believe this answers all questions.