The low-key ex-CEO of Alameda Research Sam Trabucco may be called to appear as a witness or be discussed during Sam Bankman-Fried's trial, a court was told today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Danielle Sassoon this afternoon read a list of people who may testify or be related to the trial. She told a packed New York federal courthouse that Trabucco may be involved.
Trabucco was a key figure in the FTX empire before its collapse. He left Alameda Research in August of last year, claiming that he wanted to "prioritize other things" and had "bought a boat."
He added that he "needed to relax" and was "really, really happy."
The FTX behemoth collapsed a few months later. Trabucco has since maintained a low profile.
Alameda Research was the sister trading firm of the FTX crypto exchange. Bankman-Fried co-founded it but stepped away from its day-to-day management last year.
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Prosecutors allege that client money from FTX had been used to make risky bets on Alameda by Bankman-Fried.
Sassoon also said that Anthony Scaramucci may be called to give evidence. Scaramucci, who was briefly Donald Trump's spokesman, was professionally and personally close to Bankman-Fried.
The two partnered to host the Crypto Bahamas conference last April and FTX acquired a 30% stake in Scaramucci’s New York-based investment firm, SkyBridge Capital, for $40 million.
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Bankman-Fried's trial started today in New York City. The 31-year-old is facing seven criminal charges— including money laundering—after billions of dollars in customer cash went up in smoke following the crypto brand's bankruptcy last year.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.
