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REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's father and brother, as well as Donald Trump's former spokesman Anthony Scaramucci, are among possible witnesses at the cryptocurrency exchange founder's fraud trial, according to a list read by a prosecutor in court on Tuesday. There is no guarantee that Scaramucci, Bankman-Fried's father Joseph Bankman or his brother Gabriel Bankman-Fried will testify during the trial, which is expected to last six weeks and kicked off on Tuesday with jury selection. Prosecutor Danielle Sassoon read the list of dozens of names - which included both proposed prosecution and defense witnesses - to see if any prospective jurors knew them. Scaramucci's alternative investment firm SkyBridge Capital once owned a stake in FTX, Bankman-Fried's cryptocurrency exchange which declared bankruptcy in November 2022 amid a flurry of customer withdrawals. The now-bankrupt fund is fully owned by Bankman-Fried and former FTX executive Gary Wang, court filings show.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Christian Everdell, Jane Rosenberg, Donald Trump's, Anthony Scaramucci, Joseph Bankman, Gabriel Bankman, Danielle Sassoon, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman, Kaplan, Gary Wang, Nicolas Roos, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Lincoln, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Federal Court, REUTERS, SkyBridge, Alameda Research, District, Insight Partners, Bankman, Manhattan U.S, Thomson Locations: FTX, New York City, U.S, Alameda, Alameda ., New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried case: The FTX criminal fraud trial begins today. Here's everything you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud trial begins in federal court today. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried commingled funds between FTX, where he was CEO, and Alameda Research, a hedge fund he also controlled. In the months since, prosecutors have brought several superseding indictments, slapping on more criminal charges. AP Photo/Mary AltafferIn addition to the criminal case against Bankman-Fried, the fallout of FTX's collapse has created a fountain of complicated lawsuits and legal maneuvers. The Securities and Exchange Commission has a civil case against Bankman-Fried alleging he "orchestrated a massive, years-long fraud."

Persons: Sam Bankman, SBF, —, FTX, Fried, Tom Brady, Gisele Bündchen, Stephen Curry, Naomi Osaka, Larry David, Kevin O'Leary, Caroline Ellison, He's, Michael Lewis, guarantors, Lewis Kaplan, Jane Rosenberg, Kaplan, Bankman, Ellison, messaged, Eduardo Munoz, Mark S, Cohen, Christian Everdell, Ghislaine Maxwell, Maxwell, They're, Danielle Sassoon, Nicholas Roos, who's, Joe Lewis, Jean Carroll, Donald Trump, Trump, Bill Clinton, Gambino, Prince Andrew, Mary Altaffer, SBF's, Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, Gary Wang —, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Cohen wearily, there's Organizations: Prosecutors, Service, Alameda Research, Miami Heat's, The New York Times, Metropolitan Detention, US, Office, Southern, Bankman, Manhattan Federal Court, REUTERS, Washington , D.C, Supreme, AP, Securities, Exchange Commission, Stanford University Locations: FTX, Manhattan, America, Palo Alto , California, New York, Bahamas, Washington ,, Joaquín, Bankman, Guantanamo, Alameda

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Former FTX chief operating officer Constance Wang agreed to serve as a witness for U.S. prosecutors in their case against the crypto exchange's founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, according to Michael Lewis' new book on FTX's collapse. "Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon" hit the shelves as Bankman-Fried's criminal trial began in Manhattan on Tuesday. While the U.S. prosecutors have said they plan to call a handful of Bankman-Fried's former inner circle to testify, Wang has not been named among them. Wang joined FTX in 2019 from rival crypto exchange Huobi as its eighth employee, and often accompanied Bankman-Fried to meetings in which Mandarin was spoken, Lewis said. Prosecutors have said they plan to call former Alameda chief executive Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang, and former engineering chief Nishad Singh to testify.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Andrew Kelly, Constance Wang, Michael Lewis, FTX, Fried, Wang, Lewis, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Hannah Lang, Luc Cohen, Michelle Price, Matthew Lewis Organizations: FTX, Manhattan, REUTERS, Alameda Research, U.S, Prosecutors, Alameda, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, Caribbean, Washington, New York

Companies Champion Trust Llc FollowNEW YORK, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial got under way with jury selection on Tuesday, nearly a year after his now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange's collapse shocked markets and tattered his reputation. He was dressed in a suit and tie, with his once signature curly, unkempt hair cut into a neater trim. Bankman-Fried's is the highest profile case U.S. prosecutors have so far brought against a former cryptocurrency executive. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried built that reputation on lies and bolstered it with endorsements from celebrities and star athletes. He will be brought to court early on most days to allow him to prepare with his lawyers.

Persons: Sam Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Bankman, Fried, Nicolas Roos, Mark Cohen, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Ellison, Jody Godoy, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Lincoln, Nick Zieminski Organizations: District, Alameda Research, Manhattan U.S, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, FTX, Alameda, New York

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 3 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried's fraud trial, which is set to kick off on Tuesday, marks the culmination of a yearlong legal saga stemming from the dramatic collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded. Below is a timeline of key events leading up to the 31-year-old former billionaire's trial. MAY 2019Bankman-Fried and former Google employee Gary Wang found FTX as a new platform to trade crypto tokens and derivatives. Alameda gives crypto lender Voyager Digital a $200 million credit facility, and FTX gives lender BlockFi a $250 million loan. In a post-arrest blog post, Bankman-Fried denies stealing funds and blames FTX's collapse on a broader downturn in crypto markets.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Gary Wang, Larry David, Fried, CoinDesk, Binance, FTX, Changpeng Zhao, David, Tom Brady, Wang, Caroline Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Nishad Singh, Kaplan revokes, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Jane Street Capital, Alameda Research, Google, Forbes, Alameda, NFL, DEC, U.S, District, New York Times, Metropolitan Detention Center, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Alameda, Bahamas, Manhattan, United States, Palo Alto , California

☆ The $8 billion Sam Bankman-Fried criminal trial starts today — here's what's at stake and how we got here
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +19 min

In the first trial, Bankman-Fried faces seven criminal counts related to the collapse of the crypto empire he built, including wire fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. Alameda, FTX and a host of subsidiaries Bankman-Fried founded filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware. FTX's own terms of use specifically forbade him, or Alameda, from using customer money for anything — unless the customer allowed it. And from FTX's inception, there was a lot of customer money. Bankman-Fried and other executives admitted to each other that "FTX customer funds were irrevocably lost because Alameda had appropriated them."

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Ellison, FTX, Wang, Judge Lewis Kaplan, Samuel Bankman, MacKenzie Sigalos, San Francisco —, SBF, Wang —, Nishad Singh —, Goldman Sachs, Binance, Damian Williams, Rehypothecation, —, Crypto, Solana, Zhao, he'd, Cromwell, John J, Ray, John Ray's, — CNBC's Rohan Goswami Organizations: Alameda Research, Southern, of, Stanford, MIT, U.S, New York Times, Bankman, That's, CNBC, Jane, Capital, University of California, Formula, Democratic, Twitter, Securities Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading, United States Attorney's Office, CFTC, Alameda, Alameda didn't, Voyager, BlockFi, FTX, Industry, Investors, Zhao, Publicly, Sullivan, Enron Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, New York, Alameda, of New York, FTX, Brooklyn , New York, San Francisco, South Korea, Alameda , California, Fried's Alameda, Berkeley, Miami, Washington, Delaware, California, Federal, Solana, Fried

☆ What to Know About Sam Bankman-Fried’s Fraud Trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Mr. Bankman-Fried oversaw two core businesses: FTX and a hedge fund called Alameda Research. Alameda was, at least in theory, simply a large customer of FTX that used the platform to trade digital currencies. But according to prosecutors, Mr. Bankman-Fried allowed Alameda to borrow a virtually limitless amount from FTX and then funneled much of that money into other projects. For example, regulators say, Alameda used customer funds to make large loans to FTX executives, who spent the money on political donations. Mr. Bankman-Fried faces an uphill battle in court.

Persons: Fried, FTX, —, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang —, Ryan Salame, Lewis A, Kaplan, Judge Kaplan Organizations: Alameda Research, Alameda Locations: FTX, United States, Alameda, Fried, Brooklyn

☆ FTX cofounder Gary Wang is set to testify against his childhood friend Sam Bankman-Fried. Here's what we know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

FTX cofounder Gary Wang was a critical player during the rise and fall of SBF's crypto empire . AdvertisementAdvertisementWhen Bankman-Fried cofounded Alameda Research in 2017, Wang reportedly left his role at Google. The tight group of executives reportedly included Wang, Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison, who was formerly Alameda's CEO, and Nishad Singh, FTX's former director of engineering. But at FTX, Wang was a somewhat reclusive figure, per reports. "All of the sudden that snapped into he was leaving that day, back to the US and implicitly mostly stopped working," Bankman-Fried told the news outlet.

Persons: Gary Wang, Wang, Sam Bankman, —, Bankman, MIT Wang, Wang's, Cherry Hill, Hector, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, FTX's, Nishad, Gary, Singh, FTX, Ellison, Damian Williams, Ilan Graff, Sundar Organizations: Service, MIT, Bloomberg, Eastside, Epsilon Theta, Google, Forbes, Alameda Research, Court, District of, Sydney Morning Herald, Street Journal, Southern, of New York, Securities and Exchange Commission Locations: Oregon, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, China, Bahamas, Alameda, District of Delaware, FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried was playing a video game while being interviewed on live TV for the first time, author of FTX book says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly played a video game the first time he was interviewed on live TV. Author Michael Lewis said a clip showed SBF's eyes moving as he tried to win the game while on air. AdvertisementAdvertisementFTX cofounder Sam Bankman-Fried reportedly played a video game during his first appearance on live TV. It's because he's trying to win his video game at the same time he's on the air." AdvertisementAdvertisementThe incident is not the first time the former FTX CEO has been caught playing video games in professional settings.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Michael Lewis, —, Lewis, he's, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh Organizations: Service, CBS, League, Sequoia, Bankman, Alameda Research, Justice Department Locations: Sequoia Capital, FTX

Law Firms Michael R. Becker FollowNEW YORK, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried will likely defend himself at his fraud trial, due to begin on Tuesday, by arguing he did not think the use by his FTX cryptocurrency exchange of customer funds was improper and by challenging the credibility of those who say otherwise. He has long acknowledged failing to manage risk at FTX, but denied prosecutors' claims he stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to plug Alameda's losses. In September court papers, Bankman-Fried's lawyers said he had a "good faith belief" that the manner in which FTX and Alameda handled customer funds was permissible. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, arrives at court as lawyers push to persuade the judge overseeing his fraud case not to jail him ahead of trial, at a courthouse in New York, U.S., August 11, 2023. Prosecutors are seeking to play jurors a recording of an Alameda meeting in which Ellison told colleagues that Bankman-Fried approved the use of customer funds.

Persons: Michael R, Becker, Sam Bankman, Fried, FTX, Alameda, Jordan Estes, Estes, Kramer Levin, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Tim Howard, Freshfields, Ellison, Wang, Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Alameda Research, New York Times, REUTERS, U.S, Attorney's, District, Alameda, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: Brooklyn, Bankman, FTX, Alameda, New York, U.S, Manhattan

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried case: The FTX criminal fraud trial begins this week. Here's everything you need to know.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud trial begins in federal court on Tuesday. According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried commingled funds between FTX, where he was CEO, and Alameda Research, a hedge fund he also controlled. In the months since, prosecutors have brought several superseding indictments, slapping on more criminal charges. AP Photo/Mary AltafferIn addition to the criminal case against Bankman-Fried, the fallout of FTX's collapse has created a fountain of complicated lawsuits and legal maneuvers. The Securities and Exchange Commission has a civil case against Bankman-Fried alleging he "orchestrated a massive, years-long fraud."

☆ Bankman-Fried may face 'very long sentence' if convicted, judge says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted founder of now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, may face a "very long sentence" if convicted at his fraud trial starting next week, the judge overseeing the case said on Thursday. Kaplan said Bankman-Fried was a flight risk. "Your client in the event of conviction could be looking at a very long sentence," Kaplan said in a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy stemming from FTX's collapse in November 2022. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried stole billions of dollars in FTX customer deposits to plug losses at Alameda Research, a crypto-focused hedge fund he controlled.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan's, Kaplan, Bankman, Fried, Mark Cohen, FTX, Danielle Kudla, Palo, Caroline Ellison's, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Luc Cohen, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, District, Metropolitan Detention, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Alameda, New York Times, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, United States, Brooklyn, Palo Alto , California

☆ Who is Sam Bankman-Fried, the onetime crypto mogul set to testify in his own defense?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

NEW YORK, Oct 26 (Reuters) - A few years after graduating from college, Sam Bankman-Fried grew worried he was not taking enough risks. Two years after launching a hedge fund, Alameda Research, Bankman-Fried founded FTX, an exchange that let users buy and sell digital assets such as bitcoin. Based in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried became known for his mop of unkempt curly hair and for wearing rumpled shorts, even when entertaining dignitaries like Bill Clinton. They contend the theft came to a head in 2022, when crypto prices swooned and he used FTX funds to plug losses at Alameda. Defense lawyers have argued that their cooperation agreements with prosecutors encourage them to implicate Bankman-Fried in the hopes of receiving lenient sentences.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Bill Clinton, Tom Brady, Larry David, FTX, Caroline Ellison, Alameda's, Forbes, Bankman, Jane Street, Gary Wang, Ellison, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, FTX's, influencer, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Stanford Law School, Alameda Research, Forbes, Democratic, NFL, Alameda, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bankman, Prison, MIT, Jane, U.S, District, New York Times, Times, Thomson Locations: Bahamas, Manhattan, Alameda, United States, Asia, New York

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's trial to test dueling explanations for FTX’s collapse
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

He plastered FTX's logo on a basketball arena in Miami and on MLB baseball umpires' uniforms. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried directed Wang to change FTX's computer code to allow Alameda to borrow unlimited sums of money, a privilege other exchange users lacked. Bankman-Fried's defense lawyers have indicated in court papers that they plan to challenge the credibility of all three witnesses. "The question is, when did Bankman-Fried know that there wouldn't be enough money?" Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Amy Stevens and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, Jane Street, FTX, Damian Williams, Forbes, Bankman, It's, Mark Kasten, Buchanan Ingersoll, Rooney, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Wang, Singh, Ellison, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Paul Tuchmann, Wiggin, Dana, Luc Cohen, Amy Stevens, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Wall, Alameda Research, MLB, Prosecutors, Attorney, Bankman, Alameda, District, New York Times, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Miami, Alameda, Bahamas

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's mom encouraged him to skirt donation rules and give millions to the PAC she chaired, lawsuit claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX lawyers are suing Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, saying they were wrongly paid millions. The lawsuit says SBF's mom encouraged him to avoid federal campaign finance disclosure rules. Lawyers handling the crypto exchange's bankruptcy case are suing Bankman-Fried's parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, accusing them of siphoning millions of dollars from company funds. The lawsuit also accuses Fried of encouraging her son to "avoid (if not violate) federal campaign finance disclosure rules." Singh and Salame have pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried, —, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Singh, Salame, Caroline, Sean Hecker, Michael Tremonte, Tremonte Organizations: Service, Lawyers, Democratic, Bankman, Forbes Locations: Wall, Silicon, Bahamas, Delaware

☆ FTX accuses Sam Bankman-Fried's mother of being key advisor to son on political contributions
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The complaint, filed on Monday by the now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, accuses Barbara Fried of being a "point person" for her son Bankman-Fried's "political contribution strategy." Attorneys for Fried and her husband, Sam Bankman, told CNBC that "these [FTX] claims are completely false." Fried, according to the FTX complaint, described "herself as Bankman-Fried's 'partner in crime of the noncriminal sort.' In 2021, it received a $1 million donation in the name of former FTX director of engineering Nishad Singh, according to Federal Election Commission records. That contribution may not have been from Singh himself, but instead, from Bankman-Fried, according to the complaint.

Persons: Barbara Fried, FTX, Sam Bankman, Bankman, Fried, Nishad Singh, Singh, Sam, MTG, dunning, backstop Organizations: Manhattan Federal Court, Group, CNBC, Bankruptcy, Stanford Law, FTX Group, Commission, FTX Locations: New York City, U.S, Delaware, Fried, Manhattan, Bankman

FTX entered bankruptcy in November when the global exchange ran out of money after the equivalent of a bank run. Several other former FTX executives have pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges and are cooperating with investigators. The scheme involved Bankman-Fried receiving a loan from Alameda, then transferring the money to his parents. According to FEC records, Singh contributed roughly $9.7 million in 2022 and in late 2020 to various candidates and committees. The judge revoked Bankman-Fried’s bail last month after finding probable cause that he had tampered with witnesses.

Persons: Sam Bankman, ”, Allan Joseph Bankman, Barbara Fried, FTX, Fried, Bankman, ’, “ Bankman, John Ray III, Joe, Barbara, Ray, “ Fried, Nishad Singh, ” Singh, Singh, Ryan Salame Organizations: —, FTX, Stanford University, Alameda Research, Stanford, FTX Group, Bankman, FEC, FTX Digital Markets Locations: Del, Bahamas, Delaware, Manhattan, Alameda, FTX

☆ Ex-FTX executive Salame agrees to plead guilty to US criminal charges, lawyer says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Salame appeared before U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan less than one month before Bankman-Fried's scheduled Oct. 3 trial on fraud and conspiracy charges stemming from now-bankrupt FTX's November 2022 collapse. Salame said that he had agreed to forfeit more than $1.5 billion in connection with the plea deal. Salame had worked for Ernst & Young and Circle Internet Financial before joining FTX Digital Markets. Salame was not charged at the time, and his lawyer told prosecutors he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if called to testify. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Salame, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Luc Cohen, Emelia Sithole, Mark Porter Organizations: FTX's, U.S, District, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Former Alameda, Bankman, Ernst & Young, Circle, FTX Digital, Republican, Democratic, Securities Commission, FTX, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Bahamas, Caribbean, Alameda, New York

☆ A 4th FTX executive reportedly plans to plead guilty over crypto exchange's collapse, isolating Sam Bankman-Fried ahead of trial
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Former FTX executive Ryan Salame is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges. Salame would be the fourth top official in the exchange to plead guilty to charges brought by the US Attorney's office in Manhattan. Sam Bankman-Fried, the company's former CEO and founder, is scheduled to go to trial on fraud and conspiracy charges in October. It's not immediately clear which charges Salame may plead guilty to and whether he will testify at Bankman-Fried's trial, as the other former executives are expected to. Within FTX, Salame connected Bankman-Fried to political power brokers and helped try to legitimize cryptocurrency in the corridors of Washington, DC.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Salame, It's, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Haven, Egresitz Organizations: Service, US, of, Prosecutors, Alameda Research, Justice Department, Heritage, Democratic, Republican Locations: Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, Southern, of New York, Bankman, Massachusetts, Lenox —, Washington, DC, United States, Bahamas, Brooklyn

Salame also pleaded guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. But there was no indication that he was cooperating with the prosecution or would testify against Bankman-Fried at trial. Former Alameda Chief Executive Officer Caroline Ellison, former FTX technology chief Gary Wang and former FTX engineering chief Nishad Singh previously pleaded guilty and are expected to testify against Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer told prosecutors that if called to testify Salame would invoke his right under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination.

Persons: Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Fried, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Salame, Jason Linder, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Singh, Luc Cohen, Will Dunham, Emelia, Mark Porter Organizations: FTX's, U.S, District, Bankman, Alameda, Porsche, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Ernst & Young, Circle, FTX Digital, Republican, Democratic, Constitution's, Securities Commission, FTX, New York Times, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Massachusetts, Salame, Bahamas, Caribbean, Alameda, New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Another top executive at the failed FTX cryptocurrency exchange is scheduled to appear in court in New York Thursday afternoon to face undisclosed criminal charges. Ryan Salame, the former co-chief executive of FTX Digital Markets, was set to appear before a judge at 3 p.m. at the U.S. district court in Manhattan. Federal prosecutors didn't immediately disclose what charges Salame is facing or reveal details about the case. Before FTX collapsed and declared bankruptcy in November, Bankman-Fried had been one of the best-known U.S. crypto entrepreneurs. Bankman-Fried and people associated with his companies, including Salame, were also heavy givers to political campaigns.

Persons: Ryan Salame, didn't, Jason Linder, FTX, Sam Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, Fried, Larry David, Salame Organizations: FTX, Alameda Research Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, Alameda, Bankman

☆ Ryan Salame, an ex-FTX executive, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Kara Scannell | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Ryan Salame, a former top executive of FTX, the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency trading platform, is expected to plead guilty to criminal charges in a New York courtroom on Thursday afternoon, a person familiar with the matter has told CNN. The plea comes less than one month before Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the digital currency exchange, is set to go on trial. Salame, served as the chief executive of FTX and was a top lieutenant of Bankman-Fried, who is set to go to trial on October 2 facing numerous wire fraud and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors have said Salame played a role in the alleged scheme involving political donations. They want to show the jury a private message Salame sent to a family member in November 2021, explaining that he was a straw donor that Bankman-Fried used to make political donations.

Persons: New York CNN — Ryan Salame, Sam Bankman, Fried, Salame’s, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, FTX, Nishad Singh, Salame Organizations: New, New York CNN, FTX, CNN, Prosecutors, Bankman, Republican, Democrat Locations: New York, Bankman, Alameda

☆ Bankman-Fried used $100 mln in stolen FTX funds for political donations, US says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bankman-Fried has previously pleaded not guilty to stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to plug losses at Alameda Research, his crypto-focused hedge fund. Kaplan jailed him last Friday ahead of his Oct. 2 trial, after finding probable cause that Bankman-Fried tampered with witnesses. The November 2022 collapse of FTX after a flurry of customer withdrawals destroyed his wealth and stained his reputation. Bankman-Fried's indictment does not name the two people prosecutors say he used for "straw donors" to donate money at his direction. He donated $9.7 million to Democratic candidates and causes, and said in court he knew the money came from FTX customers.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mark Botnick, Kaplan, Palo, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Singh, Luc Cohen, Chris Reese, David Gregorio, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Republicans, U.S, District, Alameda Research, Democratic, Federal, Commission, Republican, Bloomberg, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, Palo Alto , California, San Jose , California

☆ Prosecutors Detail Evidence Against Sam Bankman-Fried
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( David Yaffe-Bellany | More About David Yaffe-Bellany | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prosecutors in the criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, on Monday provided the most detailed account to date of the evidence they plan to use to convict him at trial in October. In a 70-page court filing, the prosecutors said they would draw on testimony from some of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s closest advisers, as well as an expert witness and other employees of FTX and Alameda Research, a crypto hedge fund he also founded. The prosecutors also said they planned to use notes that Caroline Ellison, one of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s top lieutenants, took after conversations with him, including a memo titled “Things Sam Is Freaking Out About.” And they said they would introduce a recording of a meeting in which Ms. Ellison told Alameda employees that she had worked with Mr. Bankman-Fried to siphon funds from FTX customers’ accounts. Mr. Bankman-Fried, a onetime crypto mogul who built FTX into one of the world’s largest virtual currency exchanges, was arrested in December and charged with orchestrating a sweeping scheme to use customer deposits to finance real estate purchases, charitable giving and donations to politicians. Ms. Ellison and two other top FTX executives, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, have pleaded guilty to participating in the effort and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Caroline Ellison, Sam, Ellison, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh Organizations: Alameda Research, Alameda, Mr Locations: FTX

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried must be jailed, is intimidating witnesses, prosecutors say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW YORK, July 28 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried must be jailed pending his October fraud trial over the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange he founded because he is trying to intimidate witnesses and influence their testimony, prosecutors said on Friday. Prosecutors first made their surprise request to detain Bankman-Fried before his Oct. 2 trial at a Wednesday hearing, where Kaplan barred Bankman-Fried from discussing the case. Prosecutors had in January accused Bankman-Fried of seeking to influence the testimony of an FTX lawyer. Ellison pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is expected to testify against Bankman-Fried at trial. Two former FTX executives, Gary Wang and Nishad Singh, have also pleaded guilty over FTX's collapse and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Palo, Caroline Ellison's, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Fried, Ellison, Bankman, Kaplan, Prosecutors, Gary Wang, Nishad Singh, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: YORK, New York Times, Times, District, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Bankman, Thomson Locations: Palo Alto , California, Bahamas, U.S, Manhattan, Alameda, New York

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