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Sam Bankman Fried, the onetime cryptocurrency mogul, built his FTX crypto exchange into a “pyramid of deceit” resting on a “foundation of lies and false promises,” a federal prosecutor said in closing arguments on Wednesday at the criminal fraud trial. Over more than two hours in a Manhattan courtroom in the morning, Nicolas Roos, the prosecutor, used scathing language to paint Mr. Bankman-Fried as a liar and fraudster. And Mr. Bankman-Fried, who had testified during the trial in his own defense, had repeatedly dissembled and dodged questions, Mr. Roos said. Mr. Bankman-Fried “lied about big things and small things,” the prosecutor said, pointing out that the defendant said he “couldn’t recall” more than 140 times in response to questions on cross-examination. “It was uncomfortable to hear,” Mr. Roos said.

Persons: Sam Bankman Fried, ”, Nicolas Roos, Roos, dissembled, Fried “, “, Mr, Bankman Organizations: Mr Locations: Manhattan

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried ‘told you a story, and he lied to you,’ prosecutors tell the jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

US Assistant Attorney Nicholas Roos presented the government’s view that Bankman-Fried is guilty of stealing money and engaging his business partners in a cover-up. The fraud, according to the government, was happening behind the scenes, while Bankman-Fried’s other firm, Alameda Research, was secretly siphoning money from customer deposits. “The answer is clear: He took the money, he knew it was wrong, he did it anyway,” Roos said. Repeatedly, Bankman-Fried told reporters, customers, investors and lawmakers that customer deposits were safe. As Roos spoke to the jury, Bankman-Fried kept his eyes trained on his laptop, occasionally typing and scrolling.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Nicholas Roos, Fried, Roos, —, ’ Roos, “, ” Roos, ”, Fried “, FTX, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bankman, Alameda Research Locations: New York, FTX, Alameda

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried’s fourth day on the stand is not going well
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Sam Bankman-Fried is back in court Tuesday for a fourth day of testimony as his federal fraud trial continues. Bankman-Fried testified that he attended a dinner with the island nation’s prime minister, alongside former US president Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. In November last year, after FTX had frozen customer withdrawals amid a liquidity crunch, Bankman-Fried offered to open up withdrawals for all Bahamian customers. Bankman-Fried testified he did open those withdrawals “for a short period.”Bankman-Fried also testified that he doesn’t recall ever directing Alameda employees not to spend the FTX customer deposits. ‘Uninvolved’ in AlamedaMark Cohen, Bankman-Fried’s lead attorney, gave him a chance Tuesday morning to clarify some of his testimony regarding the relationship between FTX and Alameda.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Fried, Danielle Sassoon, Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, FTX, ”, Alameda Mark Cohen, SBF, “ Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Bankman, Bahamian, Alameda Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda, FTX

The biggest involved Alameda Research, the sister hedge fund he controlled that’s at the heart of a collapse that has cost investors, business partners and customers billions. Under questioning, he conceded that he played a larger role at Alameda before it imploded. His decision to testify was long seen as risky, and that became clearer yesterday. The 31-year-old, who faces nearly a lifetime in prison on fraud and money-laundering charges, delivered curt “yep,” “no” and several “I’m not sure” responses, the latter drawing rebukes from the judge. The lead prosecutor used Bankman-Fried’s own words against him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, curt “ yep, I’m, Danielle Sassoon, Antonin Scalia, Bankman Organizations: Alameda Research, Supreme, Twitter Locations: Alameda

“I’m not sure,” he responded over and over, as Ms. Sassoon asked about statements he had made when he was chief executive of FTX. Ms. Sassoon displayed statements that appeared to show Mr. Bankman-Fried saying one thing in public, then acting differently in private. Criminal defendants usually avoid testifying so that prosecutors don’t have a chance to question them. In December, federal prosecutors charged Mr. Bankman-Fried with orchestrating a sweeping scheme to steal as much as $10 billion from FTX’s customers. Mr. Bankman-Fried was also accused of creating a secret backdoor in FTX’s code that allowed Alameda to seize billions of dollars in customer funds.

Persons: “ I’m, ”, Sassoon, Bankman, Elizabeth Holmes, don’t, FTX, Fried Locations: Washington, Bahamas, Alameda

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. But Mr. Sun, who testified after securing an agreement that prosecutors would not pursue charges against him, said he had once again told Mr. Bankman-Fried that none of those options were supported “by the facts.” Mr. Bankman-Fried responded by saying “something like, ‘Got it,’” Mr. Sun testified. Prosecutors then played a clip from an interview that Mr. Bankman-Fried gave ABC’s “Good Morning America” days before FTX filed for bankruptcy in November.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, Caroline Ellison —, Adam Yedidia, Mr, Yedidia, FTX, ” Caroline Ellison Ms, Ellison, Ms, Gary Wang Mr, Wang, ”, coder, Nishad Singh Mr, Singh, Gabe, Gabe Bankman, ” Mr, Prosecutors, Barbara Fried, Nishad Singh, Sun, ’ Organizations: Alameda Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford, Mr, Prosecutors, America Locations: Bahamas, Alameda, Binance, Pandemics

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried Trial: FTX Founder Testifies For Third Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

It's another big day at Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled that most of the FTX founder's proposed testimony on the involvement of FTX lawyers in his decisions and actions couldn’t be said in front of a jury. The ruling was a blow to Bankman-Fried, whose defense team had hoped to argue that the lawyers' involvement showed he was acting in good faith in circumstances that prosecutors have alleged were crimes. Bankman-Fried is on trial facing several fraud charges for his role in the collapse of his crypto exchange. Stay informed on Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of FTX:Video: Learn about Sam Bankman-Fried's testimonyMeet the main players in the FTX trialCatch up on what's happened so far in the trialListen to our special FTX trial podcast: The Trial of Crypto's Golden BoyRead how we got here and the charges facing Sam Bankman-Fried

Persons: Sam Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, founder's, couldn’t, Fried Organizations: District

☆ Takeaways from Sam Bankman-Fried’s second day in front of a jury
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Lucy Bayly | Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Prosecutors grilled former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried on Monday as his criminal fraud trial entered its third week. The pace of withdrawals then increased further, with about $4 billion in net withdrawals the following day, or 100 times more than a typical day. A market downturn meant that assets associated with FTX’s sister company, the hedge fund Alameda Research, “declined massively in value,” he said. Ellison agreed Alameda should have been hedgedBankman-Fried on Monday recalled a conversation he had with Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and then-CEO of Alameda Research. “Do you recall saying FTX and Alameda acted separately?” Sassoon asked.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bernie Madoff, ”, Fried, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, FTX, “, SBF, Ellison, Caroline Ellison, Danielle Sassoon, ” Sassoon, “ I’m, Sassoon, ” SBF, What’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, “, PR Locations: New York, Alameda, Alameda . Alameda

New York CNN —Former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried took the stand in front of a judge and jury last week in his criminal fraud trial. “I was kind of busy and lazy and didn’t bother getting a haircut for long periods of time,” Bankman-Fried said. Bankman-Fried is being accused of using this “back door” to transfer billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to Alameda. He initially thought FTX would failWhen Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang started FTX in 2019, there were already dozens of crypto exchanges. I’m not sure that I would quite answer yes to the question as you most recently phrased it.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, “, ”, we’ve, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Mark Cohen, ” Cohen, Cohen, didn’t, FTX, Gary Wang, Binance, ” SBF, Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan interjected, Danielle Sassoon, I’m Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Miami Heat, American Airlines, FTX, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals, Kaseya Locations: New York, Bahamas, Alameda, Kansas City, Bankman, FTX

☆ The Shearing of Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Vanessa Friedman | More About Vanessa Friedman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Imagine if Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the crypto trading firm FTX and defendant in one of the largest financial fraud trials in history, was actually named Samson, rather than Samuel. Like the biblical character, Mr. Bankman-Fried’s symbolic shearing for his courtroom appearance may become a fabled reflection of promise brought low in the tales to come of our digital age. An apologia writ in hair about what happens when a muscular intellect is married to frail corporate governance. Everyone (or every juror) can see a hairdo and relate. Besides, from the beginning it was by Mr. Bankman-Fried’s hair that so many knew him.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, Samson, Samuel, Bankman, Fried, Michael Lewis, “, Einstein Locations: Manhattan

The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. She was apprehensive about the move, she said, because she knew that would mean borrowing $1 billion in FTX customer funds for the transaction. “That’s OK, I think this is really important, we have to get it done,” Mr. Bankman-Fried told Ms. Ellison, according to her testimony. At Mr. Bankman-Fried’s urging, Mr. Sun said, he ran through a few theoretical options to justify the borrowing and spending of FTX customer money. Prosecutors then played a clip from an interview that Mr. Bankman-Fried gave ABC’s “Good Morning America” days before FTX filed for bankruptcy in November.

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried set to take the stand in his fraud trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Cnn'S Allison Morrow | Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried attends as FBI agent Marc Troiano testifies as Bankman-Fried faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at federal court in New York City, today. Jane Rosenberg/ReutersMost days, Sam Bankman-Fried gets up around 4 am to prep for his defense. Breakfast at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he’s been held since August, is served at 6 am. Bankman-Fried is also “friendly” with Genaro García Luna, the former head of Mexico’s FBI, who is awaiting sentencing for drug trafficking, this person said. When his trial began earlier this month, observers quickly noted changes to Bankman-Fried’s appearance.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Marc Troiano, Jane Rosenberg, he’s, Genaro García Luna Organizations: Metropolitan Detention, Southern, of, MDC, CNN, FBI Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, of New York, Honduras

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried built a career around big risks. Now he’s making his biggest wager yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried has made a career out of risky bets that, for a while, paid off. Typically, defense attorneys advise their clients not to testify because it leaves them vulnerable to grilling by the prosecution. But at this point, Bankman-Fried doesn’t have much of a choice, legal experts say. Before his world came undone last year, Bankman-Fried was a rising star, even outside the insular world of crypto. It nonetheless helped to propel his star power and secure a $32 billion valuation for FTX.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sam Bankman, Fried, ”, Howard Fischer, Moses Singer, “, ” Fischer, Cory Booker, Caroline Ellison, Mary, — Organizations: New, New York CNN, Prosecutors, SEC Locations: New York

The wait for Sam Bankman-Fried’s testimony will be a little longer. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the disgraced crypto mogul’s federal criminal trial, sent jurors home on Thursday afternoon just before Mr. Bankman-Fried was expected to take the stand. Judge Kaplan opted instead for a hearing to discuss pending testimony from Mr. Bankman-Fried, who founded the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, with regard to his reliance on company lawyers in making decisions. The jury will return on Friday, when Mr. Bankman-Fried is expected to testify. Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, Fried, Judge Kaplan, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried on Trial: Big Moments So Far
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( James Fanelli | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried will take the stand in his trial, his defense team has said. Some lawyers say that testifying may be the only chance for Bankman-Fried’s, who faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, to change the trial’s momentum.

Persons: Sam Bankman

Over the past three weeks, former employees and friends of Sam Bankman-Fried have testified that he orchestrated a scheme to misappropriate billions of dollars in customer money from his FTX cryptocurrency exchange, which collapsed last year. The witnesses have painted a portrait of Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, as a controlling boss who directed them to commit fraud. They said the FTX founder had known for months that the exchange had no way of paying back at least $8 billion in customer money that was used to buy lavish real estate, invest in other crypto companies, make campaign contributions and pay back lenders to a trading firm that Mr. Bankman-Fried also controlled. Here are highlights of the testimony from several prosecution witnesses — including Mr. Bankman-Fried’s employee and on-again, off-again girlfriend, Caroline Ellison — who have been central to the case:Adam YedidiaThe first prosecution witness was Adam Yedidia, a former FTX developer who was a close friend of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s and lived with him and other associates in the Bahamas. Mr. Yedidia, who has not been charged with any crimes and testified under immunity, said Mr. Bankman-Fried had known that FTX and Alameda Research, a sister crypto trading firm, were on thin ice.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bankman, Caroline Ellison —, Adam Yedidia, Mr, Yedidia Organizations: Alameda Research Locations: Bahamas

On the second day of Sam Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial this month, one of the lawyers for the cryptocurrency mogul delivered an emphatic message to the jury. He lied repeatedly, they said, running roughshod over his top lieutenants and directing them to treat customer deposits as if FTX were a piggy bank. The testimony has dealt a blow to Mr. Bankman-Fried’s “good faith” defense, which will be put to the test this week. At a hearing on Wednesday, Mark Cohen, a defense lawyer, confirmed that Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, would take the stand. But given the prosecution’s success in building its case, legal experts said, it was all but inevitable that Mr. Bankman-Fried would want to tell the jury his side of the story.

Persons: Sam Bankman, FTX, Bankman, Mark Cohen Locations: Manhattan

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, is planning to testify at his criminal fraud trial in Manhattan, his lawyer said on Wednesday. Mr. Bankman-Fried, 31, is likely to begin testifying on Thursday, after federal prosecutors call their final witness in the morning. “Our client is going to be testifying,” Mr. Cohen said at the hearing. Mr. Bankman-Fried is charged with orchestrating a sweeping scheme to steal as much as $10 billion in deposits from customers of FTX. Mr. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Mark Cohen, Bankman, ” Mr, Cohen, Fried Organizations: Prosecutors Locations: Manhattan, FTX

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried plans to testify at his fraud trial, his lawyer told a federal judge on Wednesday, a day before the defense is set to counter testimony from former executives who say the cryptocurrency executive stole billions of dollars from his customers and investors over several years. Attorney Mark Cohen told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan that he planned to call three witnesses “and then our client is also going to be testifying” after prosecutors rest early Thursday. Even so, prosecutors and the judge later discussed the possibility that closing arguments could occur early next week if Bankman-Fried changes his mind and doesn't take the stand. That means only Bankman-Fried or other character witnesses can tell his side of the story, former prosecutors said. ___For more AP coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX: https://apnews.com/hub/sam-bankman-fried

Persons: — FTX, Sam Bankman, Fried, Mark Cohen, Judge Lewis A, Kaplan, “, ”, Cohen, Rachel Maimin, Lowenstein Sandler, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Joshua Naftalis, “ It’s, Mary Organizations: Alameda Research, Pallas Partners Locations: Manhattan, Palo Alto , California, Bahamas

☆ ‘Oof’: Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial Reveals Inside Details of How FTX Died
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On the morning of Nov. 6, Nishad Singh, a top executive at the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, sent a message in a group chat with two senior colleagues. Caroline Ellison, who ran FTX’s sister hedge fund, Alameda Research, replied with an image of a sad face. The company is bankrupt, and Mr. Singh and Ms. Ellison, both 28, have pleaded guilty to fraud and testified in court against their onetime friend. At the trial, prosecutors have used that testimony as the basis for an unvarnished look inside FTX’s rapid unraveling — a frantic week in November that ended in one of the largest corporate collapses in recent history. The prosecutors have even put up a November calendar to help jurors follow the fast-paced sequence of events.

Persons: Nishad Singh, Caroline Ellison, Sam Bankman, Singh, Ellison Organizations: Alameda Research Locations: Manhattan

☆ Crypto Influencers and ‘Degenerates’ Flock to Sam Bankman-Fried’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A parade of powerful legal minds has gathered over the last three weeks at the criminal trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced cryptocurrency mogul. A prolific YouTuber with a channel devoted to crypto, Taco, 39, has become an unlikely staple in the crowd of lawyers, reporters and curious observers who line up every morning before sunrise to get a seat at Mr. Bankman-Fried’s trial in downtown Manhattan. “Everyone talks about how important crypto is to them,” Taco said. “But then they don’t go to any events.”Taco declined to reveal his real name, citing privacy concerns. But he said he felt compelled to show up for “technically sort of like the trial of the century.”

Persons: Sam Bankman, Damian Williams, Robert Mueller III, Donald J, Taco, Bankman, regaling, ” Taco, I’m, ” Organizations: Trump, Mr Locations: Manhattan

☆ Genesis and Gemini face civil suit alleging $1 billion fraud
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The lawsuit accused the companies of lying to investors and covering up more than $1 billion in losses. According to the latest lawsuit, Gemini knew that Genesis’ loans were risky and, at one point, “highly concentrated” with Bankman-Fried’s crypto trading house Alameda Research. “Gemini hid the risks of investing with Genesis, and Genesis lied to the public about its losses,” James said. Gemini’s owners, the Winklevoss twins, have said Genesis owed more than $900 million to some 340,000 customers using the Earn program. The AG’s lawsuit follows another civil action brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which in January sued Genesis and Gemini for offering unregistered securities through the Earn product.

Persons: Sam Bankman, —, Cameron, Tyler Winklevoss, Letitia James, James, James ’, Crypto, Cameron Winklevoss, Christopher Goodney, Gemini, Fried, “ Gemini, Genesis, ” James, Soichiro “ Michael ” Moro, Barry Silbert, DCG didn’t Organizations: CNN, New, — Gemini Trust, Genesis Global Capital, Digital Currency Group, Yorkers, Gemini Trust, Bloomberg, Getty, Alameda Research, Securities and Exchange Commission, Gemini, Genesis Locations: New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried may need a Hail Mary if he wants to win over jurors
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Nishad Singh, former director of engineering at FTX, arrives at federal court in New York on Monday. Whether or not to testify is case-dependent, and clients take a big risk in opening themselves up to cross-examination by prosecutors. The Adderall issueSam Bankman-Fried, center, has pleaded not guilty to seven federal counts of fraud and conspiracy. So he’s only getting one in the morning before he’s transferred to the courthouse and one in the evening. While they have not yet presented their case, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers have repeatedly failed to stick the landing when it comes to cross-examining the government’s witnesses.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Sam Bankman, Mary, Nishad Singh, Yuki Iwamura, wouldn’t, ”, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, Estes, aren’t, Hail Mary, Elizabeth Williams, Mark Cohen, he’s, Cohen, hasn’t, Fried, Bankman, ” Cohen, Caroline Ellison, you’ll Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Bloomberg, US Attorney’s, Hail, AP, Metropolitan Detention, of Prisons Locations: New York, Manhattan, Bankman, Alameda, FTX

☆ Secret audio, a star witness, and ‘Thai prostitutes’ complicate Sam Bankman-Fried’s defense
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-15 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

‘The ultimate insider’Caroline Ellison offered crucial testimony this week against her former boss and ex-boyfriend, Sam Bankman-Fried. Like Bankman-Fried, Ellison faces the prospect of 110 years in prison if given a maximum sentence. Bankman-Fried’s defense team cross-examined Ellison for about six hours on Thursday in a meandering, halting back-and-forth that repeatedly prompted objections from the prosecution. The secret audio recordingCaroline Ellison, former chief executive of Alameda Research, leaves federal court in Manhattan on Thursday. Statements like the ones Ellison made in the recording are known as “prior consistent statements of a witness,” Estes said.

Persons: Sam Bankman, He’s, Caroline Ellison, Fried, Jane Rosenberg, —, ”, Jordan Estes, Kramer Levin, “, SBF’s, Ellison, Gary Wang, FTX, Sam, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Cohen, Stephanie Keith, Christian Drappi, “ Sam’s, ” Estes, they’ve, ’, What’s, Estes, that’s, Mary, ” Prosecutors, there’s, ’ ” Estes, you’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Alameda Research, Reuters, US Attorney’s, Bloomberg, Getty, Alameda, Christian, ”, CNN Locations: New York, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, Hong Kong, China

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