Alex Mashinsky – former boss of defunct crypto lending firm Celsius – is scheduled to begin his criminal fraud trial on September 17, 2024.
US District Judge John Koeltl confirmed the news during a hearing on Tuesday, adding that there will be three pretrial conferences in March, July, and September.
In the meantime, Mashinsky will remain free on $40 million bail, while still subject to electronic monitoring and major restrictions on expenditures over $10,000.
Mashinsky is beleaguered with a range of fraud and conspiracy charges related to his high-risk lending firm, one of which includes securities fraud. Prosecutors include the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Speaking before the judge on Tuesday, Mashinsky’s defense lawyers hinted that part of their defense may be to claim cryptocurrencies are not securities, which remains a contentious legal issue in the United States.
“The law about what is a security is fluid,” said defense attorney Robert Frenchman, according to Bloomberg.
The trial date stands over a year out from FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF)’s court trial, which began on Tuesday.
Like Mashinsky, FTX is charged with commodities fraud, securities fraud, and wire fraud, alongside conspiracy to defraud his exchange’s customers.
Last month, Celsius creditors voted in favor of a restructuring plan that will see roughly $2 billion worth of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) returned to them, alongside equity distribution in a new company that’s inherited some of Celsius’ old businesses.
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