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As Per Reuters, a newly unsealed indictment accuses the disgraced entrepreneur of conspiring to pay a $40 million bribe to Chinese government officials.
Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (aka SBF) now faces a total of 13 criminal charges.
Federal prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried ordered Alameda Research, FTX’s sister company, to transfer the funds to a private wallet, in hopes of convincing Chinese authorities to unfreeze Alameda accounts with more than $1 billion in crypto assets.
It is illegal for US citizens to bribe foreign government officials in order to obtain business.
The new charge adds even more pressure on the 31-year-old Bankman-Fried. It was only last month that federal prosecutors added four charges to his then 8-count indictment, accusing SBF of fraudulent activity involving FTX and Alameda Research and violating federal campaign finance laws by making secret donations.
Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to eight of the 13 criminal charges he faces. He has yet to be arraigned on the remaining ones. Separately, the former entrepreneur faces civil lawsuits from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
