A federal judge on Tuesday denied efforts by Sam Bankman-Fried, the crypto entrepreneur accused of orchestrating a multibillion-dollar fraud, to have some of his criminal charges thrown out.
Judge Lewis Kaplan of the Southern District of New York said in an opinion that the defense’s arguments “are either moot or without merit,” setting the stage for Bankman-Fried to stand trial on 13 federal counts in October.
Bankman-Fried’s lawyers declined to comment.
Bankman-Fried, who is 31, has pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on all counts, he could face life in prison.
Federal prosecutors allege that Bankman-Fried orchestrated one of the biggest financial frauds in US history. They say he cheated investors and stole money from customers of his cryptocurrency exchange, FTX, to make lavish real estate purchases and large political campaign donations.
FTX collapsed into bankruptcy in November after customers and investors fled over concerns about its solvency.
At least three former FTX employees have pleaded guilty and implicated Bankman-Fried as part of an agreement with prosecutors.
