Washington, Dec 21 – Two partners of the founder of the cryptocurrency platform FTX Sam Bankman-Fried have pleaded guilty to wire fraud, among other crimes, the attorney for the southern district of New York, Damian Williams, announced this Wednesday.
Former CEO of Alameda Research, a company founded by Bankman-Fried that was FTX’s investment arm, Carolyn Ellison, and FTX co-founder Gary Wang have pleaded guilty to criminal charges “in connection with their role in the fraud that contributed to the collapse” of the company, Williams said in a video.
Williams added that the two are collaborating with his investigation into “the big fraud project” that the cryptocurrency guru allegedly led and that contributed to the spectacular collapse of the company, which has wreaked havoc in the sector.
The prosecutor assured that the investigation “advances rapidly.”
Williams also detailed that Bankman-Fried himself is currently in FBI custody and on his way to the United States, and that he will appear before a New York court “as soon as possible.”
Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested last week in the Bahamas, where he has his residence, after Williams accused him of orchestrating fraud against FTX investors.
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) maintains that Bankman-Fried organized a fraudulent scheme for years to hide from FTX investors the diversion of client funds to Alameda Research.