FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleads not guilty, faces October trial

“Even if you have a strong evidential case going to trial, it does carry some risks,” Jennings said. “If the case is going to take weeks, it does take a very serious commitment of government resources. So the government, in general, is always open to reaching some agreement if it avoids the cost of trial.”

Pleading not guilty also opens up discovery channels. Bankman-Fried and his legal team will get a better insight into what evidence prosecutors have, including any exculpatory material.

Williams previously revealed the government had spoken to dozens of FTX employees and had tens of thousands of pages of material, including emails, financial statements and Signal messages.

The government’s star witnesses are some of Bankman-Fried’s closest associates – former Alameda Research chief executive Caroline Ellison and FTX chief technology officer Gary Wang. They have pleaded guilty to fraud charges in cooperation agreements carved out with the government while Bankman-Fried was still in the Bahamas.

While negotiating a plea is one thing, Bankman-Fried’s overall value as cooperator is somewhat diminished by the fact he is at the top of the FTX hierarchy.

“Even if Bankman-Fried wanted to cooperate,” the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York “would only agree to do so if he brought substantial value,” said defence attorney Tim Howard, a former SDNY prosecutor. “SDNY does not like to cooperate down, and Bankman-Fried is likely at the top of their pyramid, so it’s unlikely.”

Only a fraction of criminal cases in the US end up going to trial. The FTX founder was arrested in the Bahamas on December 12 after US prosecutors filed an indictment accusing him of spearheading a years-long fraud through the cryptocurrency exchange.

Bankman-Fried fraudulently raised $US1.8 billion from investors under the guise of FTX having appropriate controls and risk management measures, authorities allege. FTX’s catastrophic collapse in November, and subsequent bankruptcy filing, shattered trust in the cryptocurrency industry.

He also is accused of misusing customers’ funds at FTX to cover personal expenses, real estate purchases and trading at Alameda Research, the hedge fund he established in 2017. In media interviews before his arrest, Bankman-Fried conceded being a poor manager with lapses in oversight but denied knowingly committing fraud.

He was extradited to the US last month and released from custody on a $US250 million bail package. He is also facing civil action from the Securities and Exchange Commission and Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Those cases will likely be paused while the criminal case plays out.

Washington Post

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