NEW YORK, Nov 2 ― FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's defence lawyer told jurors yesterday that prosecutors in his fraud trial sought to portray him as a “villain” and a...
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Cohen said prosecutors elicited testimony about Bankman-Fried's sex life and appearance ― the former billionaire was known for his unkempt mop of curly locks and wearing shorts and T-shirts ― to try to get the jury to dislike him.“Time and again, the government has sought to turn Sam into some sort of villain, some sort of monster,” Cohen said. “And let's face it, an awkward high school math nerd doesn't look particularly villainous.
The defence rested its case on Tuesday after Bankman-Fried underwent a second day of tough cross-examination by the prosecution ― the risk he ran by opting to testify in this own defence. Bankman-Fried, who pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud and five counts of conspiracy, tried over three days of testimony to convince the 12 jurors of his innocence.
Under questioning from Cohen, Bankman-Fried portrayed himself as a busy CEO who left operational nuts and bolts to subordinates. He made mistakes that harmed customers and employees, Bankman-Fried admitted, but never defrauded anyone or stole money.