Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Oct 30, 2024

Sam Bankman-Fried: Arrested crypto boss hugs parents as he is denied bail over 'one of biggest financial frauds in US history'

Sam Bankman-Fried: Arrested crypto boss hugs parents as he is denied bail over 'one of biggest financial frauds in US history'

The 30-year-old founder of FTX is being held on criminal charges over an alleged "brazen, multi-year" mass financial fraud, and faces up to 115 years in jail if convicted.

Former cryptocurrency exchange boss Sam Bankman-Fried hugged his parents after being denied bail on charges relating to "one of the biggest financial frauds in American history".

The 30-year-old founder of FTX, has been charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with fraud and violating campaign finance laws. He is also being sued.

Following his arrest in the Bahamas, a judge denied him bail, saying he was a "great" flight risk, and sent him to a local correctional facility instead.

Bankman-Fried will remain in custody in the Bahamas until at least 8 February.

The latest developments cap a stunning fall from grace in recent weeks for the man known as SBF, who amassed a fortune valued over $20bn (£16.2bn) as he rode a cryptocurrency boom to build FTX into one of the world's largest exchanges before it abruptly collapsed this year.

Bankman-Fried has previously apologised to customers and acknowledged oversight failings at FTX, but said he does not personally think he has any criminal liability.

Earlier on Tuesday, US Attorney Damian Williams in New York alleged Bankman-Fried had made illegal campaign contributions to Democrats and Republicans with "stolen customer money," labelling it part of one of the "biggest financial frauds in American history".

Bankman-Fried faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison if convicted on all eight counts, prosecutors said.

He was arrested at his home in a gated community in the Bahamas capital, Nassau.

In the indictment unsealed on Tuesday morning, US prosecutors claimed Bankman-Fried had engaged in a scheme to defraud FTX's customers by misappropriating their deposits to pay for expenses and debts and to make investments on behalf of his crypto hedge fund, Alameda Research LLC.

He also defrauded lenders to Alameda by providing false and misleading information about the hedge fund's condition, and sought to disguise the money he had earned from committing wire fraud, it is alleged.



Both the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) alleged Mr Bankman-Fried committed fraud in lawsuits filed on Tuesday.

The CFTC sued him, Alameda and FTX, alleging fraud involving digital commodity assets.

Since at least May 2019, FTX raised more than $1.8bn from equity investors in a years-long "brazen, multi-year scheme" in which Bankman-Fried concealed FTX was diverting customer funds to Alameda Research, the SEC alleged.

Bankman-Fried, who founded FTX in 2019, was an unconventional figure who sported wild hair, t-shirts and shorts on panel appearances with statesmen like former American President Bill Clinton.

He became one of the largest Democratic donors, contributing $5.2m (£4.2m) to President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign.

Forbes pegged his net worth a year ago at $26.5bn (£21.4bn).

FTX filed for bankruptcy on 11 November, leaving an estimated one million customers and other investors facing losses in the billions of dollars. SBF resigned as chief executive the same day.

The collapse reverberated across the crypto world and sent bitcoin and other digital assets plummeting.

John Ray, Bankman-Fried's successor as CEO, was called to testify before the House Financial Services Committee in the US Congress on Tuesday.

A crypto exchange is a platform on which investors can trade digital tokens such as bitcoin.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple Launches AI Features on Select iPhones
JP Morgan Sued Customers Over Viral Cheque Fraud Scheme
King Charles to Continue Global Tours Despite Cancer Diagnosis
Venice Extends Tourist Entry Fee Program to 2025
Tommy Robinson Charged Under Terrorism Act for Phone Offence
Plans to Increase Employers' National Insurance Announced
Washington Post Editor-at-Large Robert Kagan has RESIGNED after owner Jeff Bezos BARRED the endorsement of Kamala Harris.
Massive Theft of Artisan Cheddar from Neal’s Yard Dairy
US Man Charged with Murder of Co-Worker over Breaks
Carbon Monoxide Incident Claims Lives at UK Care Home
Birmingham Airport Evacuated Due to Suspicious Vehicle
Former US President Barack Obama raps the lyrics to Eminem's ‘Lose Yourself’ after the rapper introduces him at a Kamala Harris rally in Detroit
KYIV URGES NORTH KOREAN TROOPS IN UKRAINE TO SURRENDER
Ofcom Identifies Link Between Social Media Posts and UK Unrest
Russian Boxer Receives Lifetime Ban for Illegal Move in Boxing Debut
Biden Labels Trump a Threat to Democracy
McDonald's Linked to E. coli Outbreak Leading to One Death
Teacher Enoch Burke arrested at Wilson’s Hospital School in Ireland after refusing to endorse and affirm transgender ideology.
FBI Investigates Leak of US Intelligence on Israeli Strike Plans
Israeli Airstrike Targets Hezbollah's Financial Resources
China’s Baidu is revolutionizing transportation with its robotaxi service
Angela Rayner Secures Permanent Seat on UK National Security Council
Russian Ambassador Claims UK's Proxy War in Ukraine
Doctor Advocates for Assisted Dying Law Reform
Ruth Davis Appointed as UK’s First Nature Envoy
Pressure Mounts on Starmer to Discuss Reparations at Commonwealth Summit
James Cleverly’s Costly In-Flight Catering for Government Trips
AI Regulation Takes Center Stage in 2024 US Presidential Campaign
NASA Study Explores Potential Microbial Life Beneath Mars' Ice
Cats: The Liquid-Like Pets
Netanyahu Condemns Alleged Hezbollah Assassination Attempt
Liam Payne's Tragic Death: Tributes Pour In
Cuba's Power Struggles: Nationwide Blackout Strikes Again
Xi Jinping Urges Troops to Prepare for Conflict Amid Taiwan Drills
Farage Supported by US PR Team Linked to Steve Bannon
Controversy Over MP's Comments on Female Candidate's Family Responsibilities
Highlights from the Conservative Leadership Contest TV Debate
Childminder Jailed for Inciting Racial Hatred After Southport Attack
NHS England's Repair Bill Soars to Almost £14 Billion
Russia Accused of Using Incendiary Devices to Disrupt Western Confidence
Culture Wars: 'A Dog Whistle to Attack the Right', Says Badenoch
Virtual Reality and Advanced Technologies in Combating Cocaine Addiction
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Assembles Taskforce to Safeguard Financial Stability Amid Increased Borrowing Plans
RAF Typhoon Intercepts Air India Flight After Bomb Threat
Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar Killed in Israeli Operation
Fruit Fly Gut Hormone Study Sheds Light on Human Longevity
Tragic Loss: Liam Payne's Passing in Buenos Aires
Liam Payne's Tragic Death in Buenos Aires
Trump Criticizes Zelensky for Role in Ukraine-Russia War
Yahya Sinwar’s Death Marks Pivotal Moment in Gaza War
×