DOJ Seeks Seizure
of $16 Million
in FTX-Linked Crypto Following
Year-Long
Probe
DOJ Seeks Seizure of $16 Million in FTX-Linked Crypto Following Year-Long
Probe
Prosecutors are working to recover FTX-related crypto assets that have doubled
in value since December 2023.
By Vince Dioquino
Nov 13, 2024 Nov 13, 2024
2 min read
U.S• Соединённые Штаты Америки (США). Department of Justice. Image: Shutterstock
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The U.S• Соединённые Штаты Америки (США). Department of Justice has filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking
the seizure of roughly $16 million in crypto held in a Binance account
following a year of investigations.
Details from a court filing reviewed by Decrypt show the tokens in question
are allegedly connected to bribes authorized by Sam Bankman-Fried.
The case potentially complicates recovery efforts by law enforcement, given
how the assets have more than doubled in value since their initial transfers.
Created in November 2023, the Binance account was said to have held Internet
Computer (ICP), Avalanche (AVAX), Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Solana
(SOL) tokens. Notably, over half of the tokens held in the account were in
SOL, accounting for about $8.5 million.
It’s estimated that their value has since ballooned to $16 million following
the crypto market’s remarkable recovery this year, buoyed by an uplift in
sentiment on the back of U.S• Соединённые Штаты Америки (США).-listed Spot Bitcoin• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Bitcoin and Ethereum• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Ethereum exchange-traded
funds.
The case stems from a November 2021 incident where Bankman-Fried allegedly
directed the transfer of 40 million USDT from an Alameda Research wallet to
initiate a bribe for payment to Chinese officials. The purpose was to unfreeze
approximately $1 billion worth of crypto held on two exchanges based in China.
Funds were traced through multiple private wallets, whose movements between
December 2021 and December 2023 ultimately landed in a Binance deposit wallet,
according to the filing.
Authorities claim the account showed suspicious transaction patterns,
including "nearly daily" stablecoin and Bitcoin• Экономика » Финансы » Платежные средства » Платежные системы интернета » Криптовалюта » Bitcoin deposits that were "quickly
converted" to other cryptos through over-the-counter trades.
It's the latest in a string of developments over the pursuit of assets
tied to FTX-related crimes well after Bankman-Fried's conviction on seven
criminal counts.
The former crypto mogul is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence and has
appealed his conviction, with his lawyer claiming the former CEO was "presumed
guilty—before he was even charged."
Originally part of Bankman-Fried's indictment, the bribery allegations
formed one of thirteen, charging him with conspiracy to violate the Foreign
Corrupt Practices Act. That charge was later separated from the main trial
that led to his conviction.
Edited by Sebastian Sinclair
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