Disgraced cryptocurrency investor Sam Bankman-Fried is worse than notorious Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, but is unlikely to face trial, Judge Jeanine Pirro told The Five on Thursday.
A New York judge ruled Thursday that Bankman-Fried can post $250 million bail and live at her parents’ home in California while she awaits trial on fraud charges. According to Pirro, there are good reasons why the U.S. government delayed arresting SBF after he was initially arrested and imprisoned in the Bahamas.
Pirro, who once served as the Republican district attorney in the county where Bankman-Fried landed, said the feds clearly wanted to. Collection of charges against Bankman-Fried’s ex-girlfriend Caroline Ellison and former FTX CTO Zixiao “Gary” Wang before going after the disgraced investor.
“The feds obviously wanted these two to plead guilty to very similar charges. They had to meet the terms of the plea deal. The terms of the plea deal were that they testify and cooperate with the feds in the prosecution of Sam Bankman-Fried. – he said in “Five”.
‘DIRTBAG’ BANKMAN-FRIED’S SCAM, BENEFICIARIES OF ‘MONEY’ SHOULD BE RETURNED: PIRRO
Sam Bankman-Fried leaves Federal Court in New York City on Thursday, December 22, 2022. The former CEO of FTX and Alameda was released on $250 million bail.
(For Charles Guerin/Abaca)
“Done and tied yesterday. And as soon as they landed in New York, that deal was done. That means there’s almost no chance of this going to trial.”
After Wang and Ellison pleaded guilty, Pirro said their sentences could be matched by Bankman-Fried’s cooperation in the trial.
Their requests can also be prevented Bankman-Fried from he can claim he “didn’t know enough” about what was going on at FTX, he said.
BANKMAN-FRIED WILL NOT BE LATEST BLAME IN FTX CASE: TOUR
Sam Bankman-Fried’s mother, Barbara Fried, leaves federal court Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022, in New York City. Her son has been released on $250 million bail and remains at his home in Palo Alto, California.
(For Charles Guerin/Abaca)
“At the end of the day, this guy is worse than Madoff,” Pirro added. “And the reason he’s worse than Madoff is because Madoff … used one person’s money to pay another person.”
“This is Sam Bankman-Fried who used the money for a lavish lifestyle for himself, his family and real estate. He’s screwed, big time.”
“Five” panelist Will Kane added that the case is not about Bankman-Fried, but about where the investor spent their money.
“I’m not talking about the houses or the lavish lifestyle. People benefited from his wealth: It was the media organizations that he financed, I think about half a dozen media organizations that he lived in some places. Some of the funds from FTX,” Kane said. .
NEW YORK – March 10: Bernard Madoff, accused of running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, walks out of federal court on March 10, 2009 in New York City. Madoff attended a hearing on his legal representation and is due back in court on Thursday. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
“These Democratic politicians got a big donation campaign from Sam Bankman-Fried. To me, that’s the story.”
According to Kane, the FTX scandal is the latest example of Americans being “unwitting participants in the shaping of their own lives,” calling the politicization of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic an unwitting contribution to the Bankman-Fried world view and philanthropic tendencies of FTX investors. compares with added.
“I will shape it for you through the media. I will shape it through you for politics. And these people did not choose to participate in the manipulation of our world,” he said.
Bernie Madoff, who masterminded the multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme, died in 2021 while serving federal time in Butner, North Carolina.