Sam Bankman-Fried Denied Bail by Bahamas Judge: Faces Custody Until 2025
In a dramatic turn of events, a Bahamas judge denied FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried bail on Tuesday, ruling he should be remanded to custody until February 2025. The highly anticipated decision follows his arrest and arraignment in connection with the collapse of his crypto empire.
Sam Bankman-Fried's application for bail has been denied in a Bahamas Magistrate Court on Dec. 13, with presiding Judge JoyAnn Ferguson-Pratt highlighting a risk of flight. The judge's decision underscored concerns that Bankman-Fried, given his resources and the severity of the charges against him, presented too great a risk of fleeing the jurisdiction.
At the end of a hearing that lasted more than three hours, the judge denied bail to Mr. Bankman-Fried, who will remain in the custody of the Bahamian authorities. Bankman-Fried is accused of defrauding investors out of $1.8billion by convincing them his trading platform FTX was safe to use. He has been holed up in A Bahamas judge denied FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried bail after prosecutors argued successfully that he was a flight risk.
The courtroom scene was described as intense. Disgraced crypto tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried looked stunned as he was led in handcuffs from court in The Bahamas Tuesday night after being denied bail – and being taken into custody. The stark contrast between his previous public image and the current reality was evident as he was escorted away.
NASSAU, The Bahamas – FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried will be remanded into custody after a Bahamas judge ruled he should be denied bail on Tuesday. This marks a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the FTX collapse. The focus now shifts to extradition proceedings and potential charges he will face in the United States.
This denial of bail marks a critical moment in the FTX saga, leaving the future of Sam Bankman-Fried uncertain as he faces the legal ramifications of the cryptocurrency exchange's downfall. We will continue to provide updates as the story develops.