The Justice Department is prepared to try Sam Bankman-Fried on only the eight criminal charges brought against him in its original indictment in December last year, temporarily forgoing the five additional charges brought against him later in February and March this year to avoid legal complications linked to the FTX founder’s extradition from the Bahamas.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried leaves US Federal Court in New York City.
In a filing made late on Wednesday, the DOJ informs New York federal judge Lewis Kaplan that it wants to try Bankman-Fried on eight counts mentioned in the original indictment—which includes wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and campaign finance fraud.
Bankman-Fried was extradited from the Bahamas to the U.S. last year based on the original indictment, and the Bahamian government will have to approve any additional charges brought against the FTX founder.
Earlier this week, a court in the Bahamas blocked the country’s government from approving the five additional charges against Bankman Fried—including bank fraud, operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business and bribery—until his attorneys have a chance to legally fight against the move.
In the filing, the DOJ says it consents to the severance of the additional five counts brought against the FTX founder, but requests the court to deny Bankman-Fried’s efforts to dismiss the charges until the Bahamas government responds to its waiver request.
The DOJ has also requested the court to schedule a separate trial on additional five counts sometime in the first quarter of 2024.