Sam Bankman-Fried agreed to extradite to the United States, but the process did not move forward

Co-Founder Arrangements of FTX, Sam Bankman-RoastThose who should be extradited to the United States have faced a sharp and confusing backlash in court in the Bahamas.

Banker-Fried testified in court on Monday Willing to waive the right to object to extradition to the United States, There he will face charges including wire fraud. however, His local attorney, Jerome Roberts, told the same hearing that he was unaware of the plan., causing chaos in the Nassau courtroom. Eventually, the proceedings were stayed and Bankman-Fried was ordered back to prison.

The A confusing scene It’s the latest twist in the drama that has emerged since Bankman-Fried’s arrest last week at the request of US authorities. Although she said last week she would fight extradition, Bankman-Fried recently indicated in private conversations that she was preparing to return to the United States as soon as Monday, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Bankman-Fried’s change in approach is partly tied to anticipation You may be released on bail in the United StatesAccording to the source, who asked not to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.

Amid chaos on Monday, the bench adjourned and dismissed the audience. In the cleared courtroom, Bankman-Fried and her local attorney, Roberts, showed up to set up a conference call. The next court date is set for February 8, although it could be called earlier.

Bankman-Fried wore a blue suit and white shirt to Monday’s events, which took place in a room packed with about 20 people, including many working for America and members of the press. There was confusion from the start when Bankman-Fried’s attorney, Roberts, asked for an explanation of the scope of the investigation. Shortly after the start, a short break was taken.

Before his arrest, in several interviews following the FTX explosion last month, the 30-year-old denied committing fraud or breaking the law. Bankman-Fried and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, which is handling the case, declined to comment.

Bankman-Fried has been held in a squalid prison outside NASA known as Box Hill since being denied bail in a Bahamas court last week.

© Bloomberg

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