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FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried to be released on $250,000,000 bail

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Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, will be released on a $250million bail (Picture: Reuters)

Former cryptocurrency executive Sam Bankman-Fried will be released on $250million bail, a federal judge ruled during his first court appearance in the US.

Bankman-Fried, the 30-year-old former CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, went to his arraignment in a New York on Thursday, one day after being extradited from the Bahamas.

The bail is part of a deal between federal prosecutors and Bankman-Fried’s defense attorneys, according to CNBC.

Bankman-Fried was charged with eight counts including securities fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy after the company’s rapid collapse in November.

Sam Bankman-Fried is walked in handcuffs to a plane during his extradition to the United States
Sam Bankman-Fried is walked in handcuffs to a plane during his extradition to the United States (Picture: Reuters)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 22: Barbara Fried, the mother of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, arrives for his arraignment and bail hearings at Manhattan Federal Court on December 22, 2022 in New York City. Bankman-Fried, who was indicted on December 9th and arrested 3 days later by Bahamas law enforcement at the request of U.S. prosecutors, consented to extradition to the U.S. where he is facing eight criminal counts of fraud, conspiracy and money-laundering offenses which includes making illegal political contributions. He is potentially facing life in prison if convicted. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Barbara Fried, the mother of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, arrives for his arraignment and bail hearings at Manhattan Federal Court on December 22, 2022 in New York City (Picture: Getty Images North America)

The former CEO has been accused of stealing user deposits to lend money to his hedge fund, Alameda Research. He has also been accused of using these funds to purchase lavish real estate in the Bahamas and to make donations to political candidates in the US.

In a series of interviews since the company’s collapse, Bankman-Fried has denied the allegations of fraud, stating that he never intended to defraud customers.

Bankman-Fried faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

After he was arrested in the Bahamas, Bankman-Fried was held without bail at the country’s notorious Fox Hill Prison.

On Monday, Bankman-Fried appeared before a Bahamian judge and agreed to be extradited to the United States. He was released to FBI custody and flown to New York.

11417455 Inside the life of failed FTX wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried - the tee-total vegan who sleeps four hours a night on a beanbag in his office who filed for bankruptcy Pictured, Alameda CEO Caroline Ellison
Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison secretly pleaded guilty to fraud charges and is now a cooperating witness (Picture: LinkedIn)
11417455 Inside the life of failed FTX wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried - the tee-total vegan who sleeps four hours a night on a beanbag in his office who filed for bankruptcy Pictured, FTX co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Gary Wang
FTX co-founder Gary Wang also pleaded guilty to fraud charges, the US Attorney’s Office announced (Picture: Eric Faison)

On Wednesday night, US Attorney Damian Williams announced that two of Bankman-Fried’s associates at FTX were also charged with wire fraud and conspiracy.

Gary Wang, co-founder of FTX, and Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research, were both charged with crimes related to ‘their roles in the frauds that contributed to FTX’s collapse,’ Williams said. Both Wang and Ellison pleaded guilty on December 19 and are cooperating with investigators.

‘If you participated in misconduct at FTX or Alameda, now is the time to get ahead of it. We are moving quickly, and our patience is not eternal,’ Williams said.

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