SBF trial day 17: FTX founder pitched as a criminal and a victim in closing arguments
Attorneys for the government and defense delivered their closing arguments in United States v Sam Bankman-Fried, the trial over FTX’s multi-billion dollar collapse where prosecutors allege that the founder built his crypto empire atop a “pyramid of lies”. The jury will receive the case for deliberation on Nov. 2, said Senior District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan who presides over the case. Trial bystanders postulated that a verdict could be announced sooner rather than later. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Nicholas Roos summarized the government’s case into direct points – the defendant Bankman-Fried deceived and defrauded thousands of FTX customers who deposited billions in the defunct crypto exchange, said InnerCityPress. Bankman-Fried allegedly set up FTX as a feeder entity for Alameda long before Ellison joined as head of trading and was later appointed sole CEO after Sam Trabucco resigned. The prosecutor pointed to Bankman-Fried’s evasive responses on the stand a...