Shooting at Michigan splash pad leaves 'nine, maybe 10 victims': authorities
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, leaving as many as 10 people wounded, authorities said.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried plans to testify at his fraud trial, his lawyer told a federal judge Wednesday, ending speculation over whether a man who embraced the spotlight during his years atop the cryptocurrency world could remain silent after prosecutors portrayed him as a greedy entrepreneur who stole billions of dollars from customers.
Attorney Mark Cohen told Judge Lewis A. Kaplan that he planned to call three witnesses "and then our client is also going to be testifying" after prosecutors rest early Thursday.
Cohen spoke during a phone and video conference in Manhattan federal court after the judge told him: "It's time to tell me what defence case, if any, you're going to put on."
The judge told him that he didn't have to say yet whether Bankman-Fried would testify, but Cohen volunteered that he would.
Even so, prosecutors and the judge later discussed the possibility that closing arguments could occur as early as next week.
Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges that he looted the financial accounts of his customers and investors to live lavishly and bolster the reputation of himself and his companies through large donations to charity and political candidates.
He seemed to enjoy publicity as Alameda Research, a hedge fund he started in 2017, and FTX, a crypto exchange that began operating n 2019, became so prominent in the crypto industry that celebrities including NFL quarterback Tom Brady and comedian Larry David did commercials that put a shine on what appeared to be a stunning success story.
Over the last month, prosecutors have leaned heavily on testimony from Bankman-Fried's inner circle, former top executives who lived in a luxury penthouse condominium in the Bahamas with their boss before a customer rush on deposits last November exposed the missing billions of dollars and caused the businesses to collapse.
Former federal prosecutors said the singular goal for Bankman-Fried on the witness stand is to persuade one or two jurors that he's a sympathetic character who just let FTX's problems get out of control.
"Only he's capable of telling the story he wants to tell to the jury," said Rachel Maimin, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan who is now in private practice at Lowenstein Sandler LLP.
Through testimony and court exhibits, prosecutors have laid out a detailed case alleging that Bankman-Fried directed his former lieutenants to use FTX customer funds to fuel his ambitions and reckless spending. Jurors have also seen text messages and group chats in which Bankman-Fried appeared to be callous to the problems at Alameda Research and dismissive of the dangers of using FTX funds to cover up Alameda's issues.
Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang and others testified in detail about Bankman-Fried's behavior, and his lawyers have struggled to cast doubt on their testimony. That means only Bankman-Fried or other character witnesses can tell his side of the story, former prosecutors said. And character witnesses are largely seen as ineffective in white-collar cases.
"You really need to get in front of the jury that (Bankman-Fried) was acting in good faith when all these other witnesses say he was intending to lie, cheat and steal," said Joshua Naftalis, a partner with Pallas Partners LLP who also formerly worked as a Manhattan federal prosecutor. "It's going to be a Hail Mary."
Bankman-Fried has been jailed since August, when Kaplan ruled that he had tried to influence potential trial witnesses and revoked the US$250 million personal recognizance bond that had permitted him to live with his parents in Palo Alto, California, after his December extradition from the Bahamas.
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, leaving as many as 10 people wounded, authorities said.
The Edmonton Oilers' offence exploded in Game 4 to beat the Florida Panthers 8-1.
Canadians would get more than $1 billion in unclaimed benefits each year through an automatic tax filing system, according to a report published by the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO).
Donald Trump blamed immigrants for stealing jobs and government resources as he courted separate groups of Black voters and hardcore conservatives in battleground Michigan on Saturday.
The owner of a northern Ont. camp is continuing to clean up after an intense storm that prompted a tornado warning Thursday ripped through the area breaking his dock and downing trees.
The City of Calgary declared a local state of emergency Saturday morning in response to the latest developments in a major water main break that is impacting the city.
Toronto police are appealing for witnesses and information as they deploy a “significant amount of resources” into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old boy in Scarborough on Saturday afternoon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he has concerns with how conclusions were gathered in a spy watchdog report.
London put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ' first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year.
Fancy Pokket owner Mike Timani has decided to create a 220-foot long flat bread to celebrate its 35th anniversary.
If certain goals that are in the Paris Climate Accord aren't met, the existence of polar bears in the Hudson Bay may come to an end.
In an attempt to invite one of the most popular recording artists in the world to the land of living skies – the City of Swift Current has offered to rename itself in honour of Taylor Swift.
More than a dozen dogs arrived by Cargojet early Thursday morning to the People for Animal Wellbeing Shelter to find a permanent place to call home in New Brunswick.
Peggy's Cove, N.S., is one of the most famous locations in the Maritimes. Recent visitors were treated to more than just the iconic landmark.
Hundreds of fans lined up to meet the Trailer Park Boys in Dartmouth, N.S., Tuesday, as Ricky, Bubbles and Julian promoted their new brand of potato chips.
Car break-ins plague Canadians across the country, but instead of worrying about theft, a northern Ontario woman is cleaning up a big mess that she says will not be covered by insurance after a black bear broke into her Honda Civic and took a nap.
Members of a Hutterite colony in southern Alberta have potentially built the world's tallest structure made of Popsicle sticks.
A dog who spent the first three-and-a-half years of his life suffering and almost a year at a shelter has found his forever home, according to the BC SPCA.