FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is seen in handcuffs as he leaves a court in the Bahamas after U.S. filed criminal charges. The disgraced crypto company founder was denied bail as he faces SEC charges and eight counts of criminal fraud, including money laundering and wire fraud. He was charged Tuesday in connection with what prosecutors said was a scheme to illegally funnel millions of dollars into politics ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, misappropriating customer funds in the process. Bankman-Fried and unnamed co-conspirators made "tens of millions of dollars in illegal campaign contributions" to both Democratic and Republican candidates and campaign committees, Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for Southern New York, said at a news conference unveiling the eight-count criminal indictment, which included a campaign finance violation charge. 14 Dec 2022,Image: 744669339, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: World Rights, Model Release: no, Pictured: FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried