The FTX founder would have signed on the dotted line, bringing him one step closer to returning to American soil.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, reportedly signed paperwork on Dec. 20 saying he would soon be handed over to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and airlifted to the States. United to face criminal charges.
The move was expected as Bankman-Fried reportedly agreed in principle to extradition to the United States on December 19, although previous reports suggested he wanted to see the charges against him first.
ABC News reported that on Dec. 20, Bankman-Fried signed extradition papers citing Doan Cleare, the Bahamas Acting Commissioner of Corrections.
In a December 20 report from Bloomberg, Cleare reportedly said the exchange founder signed surrender documents on December 20 and was due to sign other documents on December 21, waiving his right to fight extradition. which could lead to him being placed on a same-day prison flight to the United States.
Cointelegraph contacted the acting commissioner’s office for confirmation, but did not immediately receive a response.
After the final document is signed, Bankman-Fried is expected to be escorted by FBI agents to a private airport and board a private flight to the United States, where he will face eight counts in an indictment. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District charge becomes New York.
The New York Times reported on December 20 that Bankman-Fried’s legal team was in talks with federal prosecutors to secure his release on bail in the event of extradition to the United States.
The deal would require approval from the federal judge handling the SBF case and could include “very restrictive conditions” such as house arrest and electronic monitoring, according to people familiar with the matter.
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He faces charges from the Justice Department for wire fraud, conspiracy to launder money, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, commodity and securities fraud and campaign finance violations.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
The FTX founder faces new charges from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly violating commodity laws and defrauding investors.
SBF not in hospital
Meanwhile, a Dec. 20 Instagram post by local outlet Bahamas Press made the rounds on social media, claiming that Bankman-Fried had been “rushed” from prison to hospital, but had been debunked shortly. soon after.
Related: SBF litigation still has “work to do,” legal commentators say.
New York Times financial reporter Rob Copeland tweeted that he had spoken to the prison warden, who said the swap founder was having lunch in the infirmary and that the rumor was untrue.
Bahamas Press later published an update stating that its sources were now reporting the claim was false.
Update (December 21 01:25 UTC): Information added from a Bloomberg report quoting Bankman-Fried will be released in the US on December 21.
Update (Dec 21 02:48 UTC): Added NYT report suggesting Bankman-Fried is considering bail upon arrival in the US.
