According to a report from May 30th, the Department of Justice is willing to drop some of its charges against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, if the Bahaman authorities object to them. Allegedly, this entails only the charges added after SBF was extradited to the US in December.
DoJ Willing to Drop Some Charges Against SBF
The Department of Justice is allegedly awaiting approval from the Bahaman authorities for several of its charges against Sam Bankman-Fried. The charges in question were included in the superseding indictments filed after FTX’s former CEO was extradited to the United States.
The DoJ is also reportedly willing not to pursue said charges in case it is found, as SBF’s lawyers argue, that they violate the extradition deal between the US and the island nation. The prosecutors are allegedly opposed to the notion.
Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas on December 13th, following several weeks of uncertainty. extradited to the US shortly before New Year. The DoJ announced its initial set of criminal charges against FTX’s former CEO on the day of his arrest.
SBF Facing Both Civil and Criminal Charges
Sam Bankman-Fried is facing numerous criminal charges that, even should those added in superseding indictments filed throughout 2023 be dropped, carry a maximum prison sentence of well over 100 years.
Additionally, SBF is also the target of multiple civil complaints filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Most of the charges against FTX’s former CEO pertain to various forms of fraud, and conspiracy to commit fraud.
So far, Bankman-Fried is the only indicted executive of FTX that has maintained his not-guilty plea. The fallen cryptocurrency billionaire’s trial is expected to begin in October 2023.