Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency govt, will quickly be flown again to the US to face fraud expenses in federal court docket after he advised a choose within the Bahamas on Wednesday that he agreed to be extradited.
Mr. Bankman-Fried might arrive in New York as quickly as Wednesday afternoon to face expenses of wire fraud, securities fraud, cash laundering and a marketing campaign finance violation. As soon as he arrives in New York, he will likely be arraigned in Federal District Courtroom in Manhattan, although the precise timing of the continuing stays unclear. The fees stemmed from the collapse of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s large crypto trade, FTX, which was based mostly within the Bahamas till its chapter final month.
Mr. Bankman-Fried, 30, has been in custody within the Bahamas since he was arrested at a luxurious condominium advanced on Dec. 12. On Monday, he appeared at Justice of the Peace Courtroom in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, the place he was anticipated to consent to extradition to the US. However the listening to devolved into chaos as an area lawyer representing Mr. Bankman-Fried solid doubt on whether or not his consumer would proceed with the extradition.
By the top of Monday, the lawyer, Jerone Roberts, had reversed himself, saying at a rapidly organized information convention that Mr. Bankman-Fried had agreed to be extradited in any case. Mr. Bankman-Fried confirmed that call in court docket on Wednesday after signing authorized paperwork that consented to extradition to the US.
He appeared in court docket sporting a white shirt and blue swimsuit, after having a breakfast of toast and jam at Fox Hill, the infamous Bahamian jail the place he has been held, in accordance with the ability’s head administrator, Doan Cleare.
Mr. Roberts advised the court docket that Mr. Bankman-Fried was “anxious to go away” and as early as Wednesday.
As soon as Mr. Bankman-Fried is extradited, Mark Cohen, a lawyer in New York, is predicted to supervise his legal protection.
Even earlier than the extradition, Mr. Bankman-Fried’s authorized staff in the US had been engaged in negotiations with federal prosecutors a couple of bail package deal. Beneath the phrases which were mentioned, Mr. Bankman-Fried might be granted bail with extremely restrictive circumstances, together with dwelling detention and digital monitoring.
Any bail association have to be accredited by a federal choose.
The extradition is the newest episode in a authorized drama that started in early November, when a run on deposits uncovered an $8 billion gap in FTX’s accounts. Federal prosecutors have charged Mr. Bankman-Fried with defrauding prospects, buyers and lenders by diverting billions in buyer funds to a crypto buying and selling agency referred to as Alameda Analysis, which was carefully tied to FTX.
Since FTX’s founding in 2019, prosecutors and U.S. regulators say, Mr. Bankman-Fried has orchestrated a sweeping fraud, utilizing buyer cash to finance lavish actual property purchases within the Bahamas, investments in different corporations, political contributions and a glamorous advertising marketing campaign.
Mr. Bankman-Fried resigned as FTX’s chief govt when the corporate filed for chapter in November. He was indicted lower than a month later by a grand jury in the US District Courtroom for the Southern District of New York.
Damian Williams, the U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of New York, has stated the investigation is continuous and that extra expenses are attainable.
William Ok. Rashbaum and Benjamin Weiser contributed reporting.