According to Cointelegraph: The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that two luxury jets owned by Sam 'SBF' Bankman-Fried could be seized due to charges filed against him. This comes from a DOJ filing on October 4, which outlined that the jets may be forfeited because of crimes detailed in Count One through Four and Seven of Indictment 22 Cr. 673 (LAK).
The matter in question is two aircraft, a Bombardier Global and an Embraer Legacy. The ownership of these jets is now in dispute between FTX, the government, and Island Air Capital, the aviation company managing the flight operations. This lies in documents submitted on September 21 to the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
The US government maintains the aircraft were bought using fraudulently obtained funds, while FTX countered by stating the loans used to buy the jets lack documentation.
In December 2022, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) brought a suit against SBF, Alameda Research, and FTX for alleged violations of the Commodity Exchange Act. BTC was accused of improperly using FTX consumers' money for personal use, with the jets cited as one such expense.
Bankman-Fried, already on trial for multiple charges linked to FTX's downfall in November 2022, has rejected all allegations. Overseen by Judge Lewis Kaplan, the trial commenced with jury selection on October 3, with both the prosecution and defense teams presenting opening arguments the next day. Active updates from the trial can be followed through key media outlets.
