Sam Bankman-Fried’s Jury: A Nurse, A Special Ed Teacher and a Man being Sued — The 12 to Decide FTX Founder’s Fate

Key Takeaways

• The jury tasked with deciding the fate of Sam Bankman-Fried comprises nine women and three men.
• SBF faces allegations of misusing billions in customer deposits at FTX for speculative trading at Alameda Research, luxury real estate investments, and political contributions.
• Some potential jurors with cryptocurrency industry experience were excused from serving.

According to reports , among the 12 people who will ultimately decide Sam Bankman-Fried’s fate are a pregnant physician’s assistant, a train conductor, and a former investment banker.

On October 4, the second day of the trial in Manhattan, the 12 jurors were selected from a list of 45 candidates.

Each prospective juror was given a minute to describe themselves, outlining their background, age, place of employment, level of education, previous relationships, and number of children.

According  to Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press, one prospective juror was apparently excused after admitting she worked for a company that made investments in FTX and Alameda Research.

Who are the Sam Bankman-Fried Jurors?

And here is the jury:

• A 59-year-old individual who did not disclose his work, and is facing a lawsuit from another company.
• A 33-year-old pediatric nurse educated at the State University of New York, Binghamton, working in Westchester County.
• A 50-year-old Metro-North train conductor and mother of five with two children with previous criminal convictions.
• A retired investment banker, aged 68, who worked at Salomon Brothers and holds an MBA from Stanford University.
• A divorced woman working in advertising, with an 18-year-old daughter and a 12-year-old son.
• A 40-year-old unemployed social worker with degrees from Princeton University, Columbia University, and City University of New York.
• A woman, 65, a retired corrections officer married to a retired construction worker with three grown children. She’s never served on a jury before.
• A 38-year-old Duke University graduate, divorced with two children, serving on a non-profit board and living with an NYU professor.
• A woman, 55, working as a special education teacher in Rockland County. A native of Bermuda, she earned degrees at New York University and Seton Hall University. She’s divorced with three children.
• A woman, 39, working as a physician assistant and who was once a medical missionary in the Dominican Republic. She lives with her husband, who is a web developer.
• A retired investment banker, aged 68, who worked at Salomon Brothers and holds an MBA from Stanford University.
• A school worker in the Bronx with graduate degrees from the University of Buffalo and Syracuse University, caring for her family and a British shorthair cat.

The jurors, ranging in age from their early 30s to late 60s, represent diverse professions spanning health, finance, law, IT, and education. Five jurors hold university degrees.

The criminal trial for Bankman-Fried is scheduled to last six weeks. He is accused of seven fraud-related offenses for his part in the collapse of FTX in November as CEO.

Debate Intensifies: Is It an Evil Deceiver or Just a Naive Kid?

On the second day of trial, the Department of Justice (DOJ) leveled severe allegations against the creator of FTX. The indictment claims that SBF intentionally deceived investors and used his connections to Alameda to “steal customers’ funds.”

The prosecution’s case was centered on accusations that he misled FTX clients, investors, and lenders over the security of their assets. He allegedly exploited Alameda to steal money and gain the favor of Washington, D.C., officials, according to their claims.

The defense, on the other hand, portrayed Bankman-Fried as a young, enterprising man who, despite his best efforts, made poor business judgments that ultimately backfired. Any allegations of covert transactions between FTX and Alameda or of customer fraud schemes were vehemently denied by the legal team for SBF.