By Michael Scott
Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorneys have in May 8 filing pushing for the dismissal of all charges except three.
Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), FTX’s founder and previous chief executive officer (CEO), is attempting to have several criminal charges against him dropped several months before his planned trial in October.
Bankman Fried Asks Court to Drop Majority of Charges
A review of court documents submitted on May 8 before the Southern District Court in New York revealed his attorney pleading to dismiss all cases except three counts. The charges unchallenged by the legal team involve plans to carry out different frauds, including money laundering, commodities, and securities frauds.
Molly White, a crypto researcher, commented on the move by claiming that part of the action appears to be linked to the inclusion of extra charges following the conclusion of Sam Bankman-Fried’s repatriation agreement. Initially, SBF’s deportation to the United States from the Bahamas sought to have him face eight criminal charges of suspected money laundering and fraud.
Bankman’s Attorney Challenge Inclusion of Charges Post the Repatriation Agreement
Sam’s attorneys argue that four of the five extra charges, added since February, go against the provision of the Treaty’s rule of specialty. Under this provision, the prosecution and sentencing of an extradited individual take place in the requested state only concerning the crime(s) for which extradition was granted. For this case, the requesting state (the United States) is bound to try Sam Bankman-Fried only for the crime for which he was deported.
According to the lawyers, the extradition court proceeding in the Bahamas involved an understanding of all parties that the specialty provisions were applicable despite the application of the easy procedure.
Bankman Pursues Dismissal of Suspected Bribery to Chinese Government Personnel
Besides, the attorneys argued that the provision lacked a waiver. His alleged deeds at FTX and Alameda led to the four charges, including scheming to carry out bank fraud and other personal wire fraud accusations. The inclusion of another charge on March 28 was linked to a suspected 40 million-dollar bribery to Chinese government personnel.
Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers are also attempting to have other charges dismissed owing to the failure to reveal satisfactory offense. Examples include scheming to defraud the U.S and charges associated with wire fraud and plans to carry out wire fraud.
Accusation of Violation of Campaign Financing Lacks Clarity
The legal team claimed that the earlier accusation sent through a Diplomatic Note does not appropriately stipulate the violation associated with campaign financing regulations. Besides, it fails to reference any bank accounts in the United States, which includes accounts linked to Alameda or FTX. Lewis Kaplan, United States District Judge, will listen to arguments on June 15, while prosecutors have up to May 29 to submit their response.
Despite other members of Sam Bankman-Fried’s circle admitting to committing the crimes and deciding to collaborate with the prosecutors, he still claims that he is innocent.
Since December, he has been at his parents’ home in Paolo Alto, where he was placed under house arrest. A revision of the bail terms was granted to restrict Bankman’s access to digital devices and visitors. Judge Kaplan allowed tapping the parents’ mobile phones to ensure the bail conditions were met. This is despite his attorneys requesting a revision.
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