© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, departs from his court hearing at Manhattan federal court in New York City, U.S. January 3, 2023. REUTERS/David De
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. prosecutors on Tuesday unveiled a new indictment against Sam Bankman-Fried, charging the founder of now-bankrupt FTX cryptocurrency exchange with conspiring to violate anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan accused Bankman-Fried of directing the transfer of at least $40 million of cryptocurrency to benefit Chinese government officials.
In a court filing, they asked U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan to arrange a court hearing so Bankman-Fried can be arraigned on the new, 13-count indictment.
The 31-year-old former billionaire had previously pleaded not guilty to eight counts over the collapse of FTX. Prosecutors say Bankman-Fried stole billions of dollars in customer funds to plug losses at Alameda Research, his crypto-focused hedge fund.
A spokesman for Bankman-Fried did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
