NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was extradited to the United States last night bringing an end to the days-long speculation over whether he would continue to fight extradition to face charges for wire fraud and related offenses over the collapse of the crypto exchange.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell, who is responsible for the Extradition Act, signed the Warrant of Surrender for Bankman-Fried to authorize the extradition.
At a hearing earlier that day, Jerone Roberts, attorney for FTX mogul Sam Bankman-Fried, told the court that his client was “anxious to leave” The Bahamas where he has been remanded for the past week.
Bankman-Fried waived his right to a formal extradition hearing before Magistrate Shaka Serville this morning, bringing an end to the days-long speculation over whether he would continue to fight extradition to face charges for wire fraud and related offenses.
Referring to an affidavit filed yesterday, Roberts pointed to a “rule of speciality” outlined in the extradition treaty that advises the fugitive must be tried only on the charges for which he was extradited and any offenses committed after the extradition. Serville noted that he only has limited remit of the matter but would communicate with the Minister of Foreign Affairs the obligation for state-to-state communication.
After he was satisfied that Bankman-Freed was not being forced, threatened or coerced, Serville committed him to custody to await extradition.
Roberts asked the court if his client would be extradited “forthwith”, and whether that meant today as his client is “anxious to leave”.
In a statement, the Office of the Attorney General of The Bahamas announced the former FTX CEO’s extradition.
“The Royal Bahamas Police Force arrested SBF, a United States citizen, on 12 December 2022 following notification in the form of a diplomatic note from the United States that it had filed criminal charges against him,” the statement read.
“The United States requested that a provisional arrest warrant be issued for SBF in anticipation of his extradition pursuant to an extradition Treaty between the two nations. After the arrest, SBF subsequently waived his right to challenge his extradition to the United States.
“The Bahamas has determined that the provisional arrest, and subsequent written consent by SBF to be extradited without formal extradition proceedings satisfies the requirements of the Treaty and our nation’s Extradition Act.”
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