NEW YORK — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried pleaded not guilty Tuesday in the multibillion-dollar fraud case against him in Manhattan Federal Court.
The 30-year-old claimed his innocence on two counts of wire fraud and six counts of conspiracy, including conspiring to launder money from his crypto-trading platform to his hedge fund, and violating campaign finance laws. At the packed hearing, Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan set an Oct. 2 trial date.
Bankman-Fried, who wore a navy suit, patterned tie and brown leather shoes, nervously chewed the sides of his mouth throughout the 30-minute proceeding. He faces more than a century in prison if convicted of charges he diverted mountains of FTX customers’, investors’ and lenders’ cash to his trading firm, Alameda.
