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Harrison Floyd is shown in a police booking mugshot released by the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., August 24. Harrison Floyd said at his first court appearance that he could not afford a private lawyer and had been denied representation by a public defender because he did not qualify. Floyd, who appeared virtually, said that it typically cost between $40,000 to $100,000 just to retain a private lawyer to fly to Georgia. Richardson told Floyd that he could either hire a lawyer or represent himself. In a separate case, Floyd was arrested in Maryland in May and charged with assaulting FBI agents who tried to serve him with a subpoena, court records show.

Persons: Harrison Floyd, mugshot, Donald Trump's, Floyd, Emily Richardson, Richardson, bedbugs, Scott McAfee, Trump, Fani Willis, Joe Biden's, Rudolph Giuliani, Misty Hampton, Sidney Powell, Attorney Willis, McAfee, Kenneth Chesebro, Powell, Willis, Jeffrey Clark, Biden, Jack Queen, Andy Sullivan, Luc Cohen, Noeleen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Fulton County Sheriff's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Department of Justice, Trump, Democratic, U.S . Marine, New, Attorney, Justice, Republican Party, Republican, Christian, Thomson Locations: Fulton, Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Fulton County, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Atlanta

☆ NY Fed defends cutoff of Puerto Rican bank after Venezuela-linked crackdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | 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

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York building is seen in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S., December 16, 2017. BSJI said it had improved compliance during a previous 22-month suspension of its master account between 2019 and 2020. In court papers on Wednesday, the New York Fed said BSJI processed transactions that had "multiple red flags for money laundering or other illicit activity." The New York Fed also said BSJI could still seek to access the U.S. financial system through a third-party correspondent bank. In 2019, the New York Fed said it would stop approving master accounts for some Puerto Rican banks because of U.S. sanctions aimed at ousting Venezuela's socialist President Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported at the time.

Persons: Eduardo Munoz, BSJI, Marcelino Bellosta, Nicolas Maduro, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, REUTERS, Banco San Juan Internacional, New York Fed, Venezuela's, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Manhattan, New York, U.S, Puerto Rican, Venezuela, Curacao, Venezuelan, United States, Europe

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. Bankman-Fried was jailed after sharing the personal writings of his former romantic partner and colleague, Caroline Ellison, with a New York Times reporter. Bankman-Fried has acknowledged risk management failures at FTX but denied stealing funds. Lawyers for Bankman-Fried disclosed that he also may assert an advice-of-counsel defense at trial, prosecutors said in court papers on Friday. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Kaplan, Fried, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Fenwick, Luc Cohen, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, District, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention, New York Times, Alameda Research, Prosecutors, Bankman, West, Fenwick, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Brooklyn's, Alameda, Silicon Valley

☆ Factbox: The legal troubles of former US President Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump campaigns at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. August 12, 2023. REUTERS/Scott Morgan/File PhotoAug 15 (Reuters) - Here is a list of legal troubles facing former U.S. President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. On Jan. 6, 2021, Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol in a failed bid to prevent certification of Biden's victory. Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records. Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations and other crimes and was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018 during Trump's presidency.

Persons: Donald Trump, Scott Morgan, Trump, Democrat Joe Biden, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jack Smith, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Nauta, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Cohen, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Letitia James, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Joseph Ax, Luc Cohen, Karen Freifeld, Susan Heavey, Sarah N, Lynch, Jonathan Stempel, Jacqueline Thomsen, Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller Organizations: Fair, REUTERS, Democrat, Trump, White House, CAPITOL, U.S, Capitol, Prosecutors, Congress, White, Mar, Trump's, CNN, NEW, GENERAL, New York, Trump Organization, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Des Moines , Iowa, U.S, GEORGIA, Georgia, Trump's, Washington, Miami, Lago Florida, New Jersey, York, Manhattan, Lago, Florida, New York

☆ 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

Aug 14 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried used stolen customer funds to make more than $100 million in campaign contributions ahead of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, federal prosecutors said on Monday in a new indictment filed against the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. The new indictment charges the 31-year-old former billionaire with seven counts of conspiracy and fraud over the collapse of the exchange. He has previously pleaded not guilty. Mark Botnick, a spokesman for Bankman-Fried, declined to comment. Reporting by Luc Cohen in San Jose, California Editing by Chris Reese and Daivid GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Mark Botnick, Luc Cohen, Chris Reese, Daivid Gregorio Organizations: Thomson Locations: San Jose , California

REUTERS/David Dee Delgado/File PhotoNEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried will prepare for his fraud trial from a Brooklyn jail where inmates ranging from convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to Honduras' former president have complained of subpar conditions. In recent years, MDC has been plagued by persistent staffing shortages, power outages and maggots in inmates' food. Earlier this year, a guard pleaded guilty to accepting bribes to smuggle in drugs. It is now the jail housing detainees awaiting federal trials in New York City, after the Manhattan Correctional Center closed in 2021 for improvements. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, David Dee Delgado, Fried, Ghislaine Maxwell, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Hannibal Lecter's, Epstein, Kaplan, Juan Orlando Hernandez, Guo Wengui, Hernandez, Luc Cohen, Noeleen Walder, Daniel Wallis Organizations: FTX, REUTERS, District, Detention, MDC, The U.S . Bureau of Prisons, Manhattan Correctional Center, MCC, Fox, U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City, U.S, Brooklyn, Honduras, Palo Alto , California, Brooklyn's, United States, Florida, The, Putnam County, Bahamas, Chinese, New York

REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File PhotoAug 14 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried used stolen customer funds to make more than $100 million in campaign contributions ahead of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, federal prosecutors said on Monday in a new indictment filed against the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange. The new indictment charges the 31-year-old former billionaire with seven counts of conspiracy and fraud over the collapse of the exchange. Bankman-Fried rode a boom in cryptocurrency values to compile a net worth estimated at $26 billion, and became an influential donor to mostly Democratic candidates and causes. FTX was based in the Bahamas and he was arrested there in December 2022. Reporting by Luc Cohen in San Jose, California Editing by Chris Reese and Daivid GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Fried, Mark Botnick, Bankman, FTX, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Luc Cohen, Chris Reese, Daivid Gregorio Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, U.S, District, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Bahamas, United States, San Jose , California

He had a blank expression as he was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs by members of the U.S. A July 20 article in the New York Times contained excerpts from Ellison's personal Google documents prior to FTX's collapse. She described being "unhappy and overwhelmed" with her job and feeling "hurt/rejected" from her personal break-up with Bankman-Fried. Sassoon said the defendant would be able to access an internet-enabled laptop there to review evidence to prepare for trial. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Noeleen Walder and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, District Judge Lewis Kaplan's, Caroline Ellison, Kaplan, Ellison, Barbara Fried, nodded, Joseph Bankman, Fried, Jane Rosenberg Bankman, Palo, Mark Cohen, Bankman, Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, Sassoon, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis, Noeleen, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: U.S, District, New York Times, Alameda Research, U.S . Marshals, Stanford University, REUTERS, Prosecutors, Times, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention, Correctional, Thomson Locations: U.S, Manhattan, Alameda, United States, New York, Palo Alto , California, New York City, Brooklyn's, Putnam

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan announced the decision at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan, less than two months before the scheduled October fraud trial. He rejected a defense request to delay Bankman-Fried's detention pending appeal of the bail revocation. Bankman-Fried has been largely confined to his parents' Palo Alto, California, home on $250 million bond since his December 2022 arrest. Kaplan said he was concerned that Bankman-Fried showed the writings to the reporter during an in-person meeting at his parents' home. Bankman-Fried sat with his shoulders hunched, leaning forward on the table and fidgeting with a Post-It note as he heard the judge order him detained.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Fried, Barbara Fried, nodded, Joseph Bankman, Palo, Caroline Ellison's, Ellison, Kaplan, Donald Trump, Britain's Prince Andrew . Bankman, Mark Cohen, Cohen, Danielle Sassoon, Sassoon, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, Eduardo Munoz NEW YORK, U.S, District, Alameda Research, U.S . Marshals, Stanford University, Alameda, New York Times, Attorney's, Times, Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention, Correctional, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Manhattan, Alameda, Palo Alto , California, New York City, Brooklyn's, Putnam

The long-awaited rule is expected to require that real estate professionals such as title insurers report the identities of the beneficial owners of companies buying real estate in cash to the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Criminals have for decades anonymously hidden ill-gotten gains in real estate, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in March, adding that as much as $2.3 billion was laundered through U.S. real estate between 2015 and 2020. That debate has slowed down FinCEN's work on the real estate reporting rule, one of the sources said. PATCHWORKWhile banks have long been required to understand the source of customer funds and report suspicious transactions, no such rules exist nationwide for the real estate industry. FinCEN implemented GTOs in 2016 after the New York Times revealed that nearly half of luxury real estate was bought by anonymous shell companies.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Erica Hanichak, FinCEN, Jodi Vittori, Guo Wengui, Guo, Donald Trump, Steve Bannon, Howard, David Szakonyi, Luc Cohen, Chris Prentice, Amy Stevens, Michelle Price, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Treasury Department, FACT Coalition, Association, New York Times, Carnegie Endowment, International Peace, Nardello, Government, Office, George Washington University, New, Thomson Locations: New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Chinese, Jersey, Manhattan

☆ Ex-FBI agent accused of working for Russian oligarch may change plea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | 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: +1 min

Charles McGonigal, a former FBI official who has been charged with working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, arrives at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., March 8, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File PhotoCompanies OK Rusal MKPAO FollowNEW YORK, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A former FBI agent accused by U.S. prosecutors of working for sanctioned Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska may change his plea in relation to criminal charges of evading U.S. sanctions and money laundering, court records showed on Monday. A change of plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Jennifer Rearden in Manhattan has been scheduled for Aug. 15. The charges against McGonigal came as U.S. prosecutors ramped up efforts to enforce sanctions on Russian officials and police their alleged enablers in response to the invasion of Ukraine. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Mark Porter and Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, Oleg Deripaska, Brendan McDermid, Jennifer Rearden, McGonigal, oligarch, Russia's, Luc Cohen, Mark Porter, Conor Humphries Organizations: FBI, Court, REUTERS, U.S, Deripaska, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Russian, New York City, U.S, Manhattan, New York, Ukraine, Washington

He may soon face more charges in Georgia, where a state prosecutor is investigating his attempts to overturn the election there. TRUMP STILL THE REPUBLICAN FRONT-RUNNER Trump's legal woes have done little to damage his status as Republican front-runner. The indictment describes a phone call in which Pence told Trump there was no legal basis for the theory that Pence could block certification of the election. Although Pence repeatedly told Trump he lacked the authority to reject electoral votes from certain states, Trump kept repeating the claim. On Jan. 6, as he spoke to his supporters before they attacked the Capitol, Trump said: "If Mike Pence does the right thing, we win the election."

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Trump, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, Joe Biden, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Upadhyaya, Chutkan, John Lauro, Thomas Windom, Biden, Todd Blanche, Judge Moxila, Jane Rosenberg, Donald J, Fani Willis, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Pence, Sarah N, Lynch, Jacqueline Thomsen, Andrew Goudsward, Luc Cohen, Jason Lange, Tim Reid, John O'Connell, Jeff Mason, Patrick McFarland, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, U.S . Capitol, Republican, Democratic, Biden, America, Republicans, Secret, REUTERS, TRUMP STILL, Reuters, Trump, White, Justice Department, U.S . House, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington, Bedminster , New Jersey, Ukraine, American, United States, America, New York, Georgia, Atlanta, Florida

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Thursday to federal charges that he orchestrated a plot to try to overturn his 2020 election loss in what U.S. prosecutors call an unprecedented effort by the then-president to undermine the pillars of American democracy. He previously pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he retained classified documents after leaving office and New York state charges that he falsified documents in connection with hush money payments to a porn star. Trump may soon face more charges in Georgia, where a state prosecutor is investigating his attempts to overturn the election there. The indictment describes a phone call in which Pence told Trump there was no legal basis for the theory that Pence could block certification of the election. Although Pence repeatedly told Trump he lacked the authority to reject electoral votes from certain states, Trump kept repeating the claim.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden, Jack Smith, Smith, Judge Moxila Upadhyaya, Biden, Fani Willis, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Trump's, Sarah N, Lynch, Jacqueline Thomsen, Andrew Goudsward, Luc Cohen, Jason Lange, Tim Reid, John O'Connell, Patrick McFarland, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, U.S . Capitol, Trump, Democratic, Biden, Social, TRUMP, Reuters, Reagan Washington National Airport, Republican, White, Justice Department, U.S . House, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Washington, New York, Georgia, Atlanta, Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida

☆ US man pleads guilty to laundering crypto stolen from Bitfinex hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | 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: +1 min

Photo illustration of Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange website taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A New York technology entrepreneur pleaded guilty on Thursday to laundering funds stolen from Bitfinex, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, with his wife, an online rapper, expected to follow. His wife Heather Morgan, who used the hip-hop alias "Razzklekhan" to promote her music, is expected to enter her own plea later on Thursday. Lichtenstein and Morgan had been arrested in February 2022 on charges of laundering more than 100,000 bitcoin that was stolen after a hacker attacked Bitfinex in 2016. A docket entry in late July shows that Lichtenstein and Morgan reached their plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington.

Persons: Bitfinex, Dado Ruvic, Ilya Lichtenstein, Colleen Kollar, Heather Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Lisa Monaco, Luc Cohen, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Department of Justice, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: York, Washington, United States, U.S

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump is due to appear in court on Thursday to face charges he led a wide-ranging conspiracy built on lies to overturn the 2020 presidential election, culminating in a violent attack on the seat of American democracy. Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is scheduled to appear in a magistrate's courtroom at 4 p.m. Trump may soon face more charges in Georgia, where a state prosecutor is investigating his attempts to overturn the election there. Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. Although Pence repeatedly told Trump he lacked the authority to reject electoral votes from certain states, Trump kept repeating the claim.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Jack Smith, Democrat Joe Biden, Biden, Fani Willis, Ron DeSantis, Lindsay DeDario, Mike Pence, Pence, Rudy Giuliani, Trump's, Sarah N, Lynch, Jacqueline Thomsen, Luc Cohen, Andrew Goudsward, Tim Reid, John O'Connell, Patrick McFarland, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Former U.S, Washington , D.C, U.S . Capitol, Democrat, Trump, Social, Republican, Democratic, Reuters, White, Justice Department, REUTERS, Secret Service, D.C, U.S, House, Capitol, Thomson Locations: Former, Washington ,, New York, Georgia, Atlanta, Erie , Pennsylvania, U.S, Washington, Bedminster , New Jersey

The four-count, 45-page indictment charges Republican Trump with conspiring to defraud the U.S. by preventing Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory and to deprive voters of their right to a fair election. The charges stem from Special Counsel Jack Smith's sprawling investigation into allegations Trump sought to reverse his loss to Biden. "President Trump will not be deterred by disgraceful and unprecedented political targeting!" [1/5]Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S., July 29, 2023. Tuesday's charges represent a second round of federal charges by Smith, who was appointed special counsel in November by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden's, Mike Pence, Tanya Chutkan, Barack Obama, Jack Smith's, Biden, Weeks, Smith, Trump's, Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Pence, Lindsay DeDario, Giuliani, Robert Costello, Eastman, Charles Burnham, Clark, General Merrick Garland, Stormy Daniels, Kevin McCarthy, Ron DeSantis, Fani Willis, Garland, Jacqueline Thomsen, Sarah N, Lynch, Rami Ayyub, Andrew Goudsward, Luc Cohen, Jack Queen, Kanishka Singh, Dan Whitcomb, Costas Pitas, Mike Scarcella, Tim Reid, Jeff Mason, Gram Slattery, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Howard Goller, Grant McCool, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, ., Trump, Congress, Justice, REUTERS, Reuters, Presidential, TRUMP, REPUBLICAN, Republicans, Democratic, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: American, Washington, U.S, Washington ,, Nazi Germany, Georgia, Erie , Pennsylvania, Miami, Manhattan's, Florida, Fulton County, The Hague, Kosovo, New York

☆ FTX's Bankman-Fried, seeking to avoid jail, denies witness tampering
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | 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

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr AlfikyNEW YORK, Aug 1 (Reuters) - Sam Bankman-Fried, the indicted founder of the bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange, on Tuesday said he never sought to intimidate witnesses at his scheduled October fraud trial, and there is no reason to jail him. "Mr. Bankman-Fried's contact with the New York Times reporter was not an attempt to intimidate Ms. Ellison or taint the jury pool," his lawyer, Mark Cohen, wrote in the letter. Kaplan barred Bankman-Fried from speaking about the case and asked both sides to submit written arguments about possible jail. Prosecutors may respond to Bankman-Fried's letter by Thursday.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Bankman, Ms, Ellison, Mark Cohen, Palo, Kaplan, Laurence Tribe, Luc Cohen, Christopher Cushing Organizations: United, REUTERS, District, New York Times, Alameda Research, U.S, Harvard University, Metropolitan Detention, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Palo Alto , California, Brooklyn, New York

Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried arrives at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to plug losses at Alameda. He said he submitted Tuesday's filing independently, as a constitutional law expert. Tribe published the major treatise "American Constitutional Law" in 1978 and was lead counsel in 37 Supreme Court cases. The case is U.S. v. Bankman-Fried, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Fried, Amr, FTX, Laurence Tribe, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Caroline Ellison, Ellison, Tribe, Bankman, Kaplan, Joseph Bankman, Kaplan Hecker, Fink, Robert Bork's, Jonathan Stempel, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: United, REUTERS, Harvard Law School, New York Times, District, Bankman, FTX, Alameda Research, Alameda, Prosecutors, Supreme, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Alameda, Southern District, Southern District of New York, New York

The four-count, 45-page indictment charges Republican Trump with conspiring to defraud the U.S. by preventing Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's victory and to deprive voters of their right to a fair election. The charges stem from Special Counsel Jack Smith's sprawling investigation into allegations Trump sought to reverse his loss to Biden. The indictment lays out numerous examples of Trump's election falsehoods and notes that close advisers, including senior intelligence officials, told him repeatedly that the election results were legitimate. "President Trump will not be deterred by disgraceful and unprecedented political targeting!" Tuesday's charges represent a second round of federal charges by Smith, who was appointed a special counsel in November by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Biden's, Mike Pence, Tanya Chutkan, Barack Obama, Jack Smith's, Biden, Weeks, Smith, Rudy Giuliani, Jeffrey Clark, John Eastman, Pence, Lindsay DeDario, Ted Goodman, Clark, Eastman, General Merrick Garland, Stormy Daniels, Kevin McCarthy, Ron DeSantis, Trump's, Fani Willis, Garland, Jacqueline Thomsen, Sarah N, Lynch, Rami Ayyub, Andrew Goudsward, Luc Cohen, Jack Queen, Kanishka Singh, Dan Whitcomb, Costas Pitas, Mike Scarcella, Tim Reid, Jeff Mason, Gram Slattery, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Will Dunham, Howard Goller, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Republican, ., Trump, Congress, Justice, REUTERS, TRUMP, REPUBLICAN, Republicans, Democratic, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: American, Washington, U.S, Washington ,, Nazi Germany, Georgia, Erie , Pennsylvania, Miami, Manhattan's, Florida, Fulton County, The Hague, Kosovo, New York

July 28 (Reuters) - Here is a list of legal troubles facing former U.S. President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Trump said his attorneys met on Thursday with U.S. Justice Department officials, in a sign charges could come soon. Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the Department of Justice had not told his attorneys when action was likely. Officials have testified that during his final months in office, Trump pressured them with false voter fraud claims. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

Persons: Donald Trump, Trump, JAN, General Merrick Garland, Trump's, Smith, Walt Nauta, Carlos De Oliveira, De Oliveira, Fani Willis, Brad Raffensperger, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, reimbursing Cohen, Cohen, Jean Carroll, Carroll, Letitia James, James, Donald Jr, Eric, Joseph Ax, Luc Cohen, Karen Freifeld, Susan Heavey, Sarah N, Lynch, Jonathan Stempel, Jacqueline Thomsen, Noeleen Walder, Howard Goller, Daniel Wallis Organizations: CAPITOL, U.S, Capitol, U.S . Justice Department, Department of Justice, White, Trump, Prosecutors, Republican Georgia, U.S . Constitution, Trump's, CNN, NEW, GENERAL, New York, Trump Organization, Thomson Locations: Miami, Lago Florida, New Jersey, GEORGIA, Fulton County, Georgia, U.S ., York, Manhattan, Lago, Florida, New York

☆ 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

☆ Bankman-Fried campaign finance charge dropped, lessening trial's political focus
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | 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: +3 min

He got a modest victory on Wednesday night when prosecutors decided to drop a campaign finance charge claiming the former billionaire illegally directed associates to donate millions of dollars to political campaigns. Mark Kasten, a lawyer at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney in Philadelphia, said dropping the campaign finance charge could help Bankman-Fried by letting his lawyers "focus their narrative" on the fraud case. "Jurors have a visceral reaction to campaign finance charges: campaign finance charges are crimes on the public, and jurors themselves are indirect victims," he said. Ellison, the former chief executive of Bankman-Fried's crypto-focused hedge fund Alameda Research, pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is expected to testify against him. Nishad Singh, FTX's former director of engineering, pleaded guilty to fraud and campaign finance charges, saying he used transfers from Alameda to make political donations in part to bolster Bankman-Fried's and FTX's political influence.

Persons: Buchanan Ingersoll, Rooney, Sam Bankman, Caroline Ellison, FTX, Fried, Bankman, Mark Kasten, Ellison, Nishad Singh, FTX's, Gary Wang, Luc Cohen, Chris Reese Organizations: New York Times, U.S, Bankman, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, Bahamas, Philadelphia, Alameda, New York

☆ Head of US 'KleptoCapture' unit targeting Russian oligarchs leaves Justice Dept.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | 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: +3 min

Andrew Adams, who has led the "KleptoCapture" task force since its inception in March 2022, will be replaced by his deputies Michael Khoo and David Lim, a DOJ spokesperson said. "It was a privilege to cap this time in service of the Department's response to the war in Ukraine," Adams, a 10-year Justice Department veteran, wrote in a LinkedIn post. In launching the task force, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said it would enforce sanctions and export controls designed to freeze Russia out of global markets, and confiscate assets obtained through unlawful conduct. During Adams' tenure, the unit unveiled indictments against aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska and TV tycoon Konstantin Malofeyev for alleged sanctions busting, and seized yachts belonging to sanctioned oligarchs Suleiman Kerimov and Viktor Vekselberg. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Sarah N. Lynch in Washingon, D.C.; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Andrew Adams, Michael Khoo, David Lim, Adams, General Merrick Garland, Oleg Deripaska, Konstantin Malofeyev, Suleiman Kerimov, Viktor Vekselberg, Artem Uss, Khoo, Lim, Luc Cohen, Sarah N, Lynch, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . Department, Reuters, Department of Justice, DOJ, Department, Vekselberg's, Huawei Technologies, Iran, Airbus, D.C, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, New York City , New York, U.S, Russia, York, Russian, Italy, New York, Washingon

☆ US judge tightens Sam Bankman-Fried's bail, will consider jailing him
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | 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: +2 min

[1/2] Indicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried walks outside at the United States Courthouse in New York City, U.S., July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File PhotoNEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday tightened Sam Bankman-Fried's bail conditions, restricting his ability to communicate publicly, and will consider jailing him ahead of his trial over the collapse of his FTX cryptocurrency exchange. "I'm very mindful of the government's interest in this issue, which I take seriously," Kaplan said at a hearing in Manhattan federal court. Ellison, also Alameda's former chief executive, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Amr Alfiky, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Fried, Caroline Ellison's, Kaplan, Mark Cohen, FTX, Ellison, Luc Cohen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: FTX, United, REUTERS, U.S, District, Alameda Research, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Manhattan, Palo Alto , California, Bahamas, New York

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