Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Begins Tomorrow: 3 Reasons Ex-SEC Official Foresees Conviction

The trial of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and hedge fund Alameda Research, is set to commence in New York on Tuesday, October 3. 

This comes almost a year after the collapse of both FTX and Alameda Research. The events leading up to the trial paint a picture of alleged fraudulent activities and money laundering that caused significant damage to the businesses involved.

Ex-SEC Official’s Bleak Prediction As Sam Bankman-Fried Trial Commences

In a nutshell, Alameda Research purportedly took customer deposits from FTX and invested them in fictitious crypto tokens, which derived their value from the confidence in FTX’s operations. 

When this confidence waned, FTX and Alameda Research suffered substantial losses, which many argue contributed to a broader disillusionment in the cryptocurrency industry. 

Following an investigation, federal authorities uncovered numerous alleged crimes, leading to seven federal fraud and money-laundering charges against Bankman-Fried, with the possibility of more charges.

Furthermore, several key individuals within Bankman-Fried’s inner circle at FTX have made plea deals to cooperate with the ongoing investigation. Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, has led this cooperation. 

Concurrently, other legal proceedings related to FTX’s bankruptcy continue, including a lawsuit filed by the company’s new management against Bankman-Fried’s parents.

On this matter, Former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Official John Reed Stark has put forward three compelling reasons why he believes Bankman-Fried’s trial will likely result in a conviction:

• A Plethora of Cooperation: The prosecution team is set to call numerous senior corporate insiders, including Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research and Bankman-Fried’s on-again/off-again girlfriend, FTX co-founder Gary Wang, and FTX engineering director Nishad Sing. 

According to Stark, these witnesses, who have pleaded guilty and are cooperating to reduce their sentences, are expected to provide a comprehensive account of FTX’s alleged criminal activities. 

Additionally, a “multitude” of other informants, turncoats, and whistleblowers have reportedly supplied the prosecution with extensive evidence and insights into Bankman-Fried’s alleged unlawful actions.

• Unprecedented Access to Evidence: Seasoned restructuring expert John J. Ray III, who has been extensively investigating FTX’s activities, has reportedly spent around $200 million to uncover evidence of alleged wrongdoing. 

Stark believes that the prosecution team has likely gained access to Ray’s findings, which include terabytes of incriminating evidence, thanks to the collaboration between Ray’s team and law enforcement agencies. This significant trove of evidence will undoubtedly play a crucial role in the trial.

• Self-Incrimination and Impeachment: Sam Bankman-Fried’s public relations campaign following the collapse of FTX has been characterized by numerous interviews and statements, in contrast to the advice typically given by defense attorneys. 

These public appearances have provided the prosecution with substantial visual and audio evidence that they can use to portray Sam Bankman-Fried as a “pathological, egomaniacal figure” behind a colossal financial fraud, according to the former SEC official. 

As the trial approaches, Sam Bankman-Fried finds himself in a Brooklyn jail due to his pretrial behavior, which reportedly irked the prosecutors and judge.

If convicted, Sam Bankman-Fried could face a lengthy prison sentence of up to 115 years, although the actual term is more likely to range from a decade to two.

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com