CNN in New York —
A federal judge revoked the bail of Sam Bankman-Fried, who is accused of being a crypto fraudster, on the basis of probable cause, which suggests that he attempted to manipulate witnesses.
Bankman-Fried was temporarily detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as the parties work out how he will use discovery material before his trial in October.
US marshals handcuffed Bankman-Fried and escorted him out of the courtroom after the ruling was made.
This sketch of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX’s failed cryptocurrency exchange, is taken into custody at a New York courthouse in 2023 after his lawyers were unable to convince the judge handling his fraud case not to imprison him before trial.
On Friday, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers filed a notice of appeal without delay.
Claims of witness interference.
Bankman-Fried’s repeated misconduct, which included contacting potential witnesses, using a virtual private network to undermine monitoring, and speaking with prosecutors about former FTX executive Caroline Ellison, led to the request for the court to revoke bail.
This courtroom sketch depicts Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, during a hearing held at Y.U.’s New York court in 2023, as he faces his bail revocation.
Ellison, who is Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend, is among the many former business partners who have entered a plea agreement and are set to testify against him.
Judge Kaplan disputed the prosecution’s assertion that Bankman-Fried was covering up his actions by permitting a reporter to review Ellison’ personal documents and leaked them to the New York Times. He believed that disclosing intimate writings about an ex would only harm the subject, dishonestly, and with fear.
The defense counsel maintained that Bankman-Fried has the right to protect his reputation in the media. They also emphasized that the defense requires regular computer and internet access due to the complexity of the case, which involves hundreds of thousands of documents.
On Friday, Sam Bankman-Fried appeared in federal court in Manhattan. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters reported.
A gag order was agreed upon by Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to restrict their contact outside the case. However, Kaplan argued that it would not be sufficient, given his history of repeatedly following the line.
Claims of deceitful.
Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of conspiracy and fraud and will appear in court in October.
Ever since his arrest in December, he has broken legal guidelines for speaking to the media. He has blogged extensively, tweeted, and participated in live interviews to share his perspective on FTX’s downfall. While recognizing his mistakes as CEO but insisting that a genuine fraud occurred, Mr. Abbas remains tight-lipped.
Bankman-Fried has been accused by prosecutors of orchestrating one of the most significant financial frauds in US history. He is accused of stealing deposits from his cryptocurrency exchange FTX to finance risky bets at his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research; funneling donations to American politicians; and underwriting a luxurious lifestyle for himself and his employees in the Bahamas.
FTX, which was supported by A-list celebrities and appeared in Super Bowl commercials, had been one of the world’s largest crypto-trading platforms until it collapsed last November due to concerns about its financial links to Alameda Research, an established crypto hedge fund. The company then filed for bankruptcy and became the center of a federal fraud investigation.
The article was aided by Kara Scannell from CNN.