By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
SDNY COURTROOM, Feb 2 - In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on December 27, 2022 a complaint was ordered unsealed charging Avraham Eisenberg with commodities fraud. He was arrested in Puerto Rico.
Inner City Press is covering the case(s), often as the only media in the Mag Court. Related Mag Court live-tweeted thread (more on Patreon here) vlog here
On January 9, Inner City Press came across the CFTC case against Eisenberg, just filed (still with no title in PACER) and put it out on Patreon here. The 21-page civil complaint is, as is often the case, more detailed...
The same day the criminal complaint was unsealed, Inner City Press repeatedly checked the SDNY Magistrates Court but it was locked. But the complaint in this case charges that Eisenberg "engaged in a scheme involving the intentional and artificial manipulation of the price of perpetual futures contracts on a cryptocurrency exchange called Mango Markets... which has its own native crypto token called MNGO."
The unsealed complaint is now on Patreon here
On January 30, 2023, District Judge Liman held a hearing on Mango Labs LLC's order to show cause - but no one was there for Eisenberg. In fat, Inner City Press was the only person in the courtroom gallery. Here's some tweets here.
On February 3, Eisenberg in a yellow jump suit and feet shackled was brought into Magistrates Court at SDNY. He had, at least for the proceeding, the same lawyer Ethereum developer Virgil Griffith had in the North Korea sanctions case he pled guilty in: Brian Klein.
His parents were in the gallery and he looked at them, from two rows away. The prosecutor said that (unlike on Sam Bankman-Fried) they were seeking detention, and that he was consenting at least for now. Here is Inner City Press' thread:
OK - now Avraham Eisenberg is to be presented here in Magistrates Court charged for $100 million manipulation of the Mango Markets crypto exchange
It seems Eisenberg has the same retained counsel as Virgil Griffith had - and Virgil pled guilty on the eve of trial. Seems relatives here in gallery here. The two sides' lawyers are talking about NYU Law. Could there be a bond deal like with SBF?
Avraham Eisenberg has been brought in by Marshals in yellow jumpsuit, hair standing up. He's reading the papers that awaited him on defense table. Lawyer points at gallery and says, His parents.
All Rise! Klein is here only for this proceeding, he says. AUSA Tom Burnett: He was arrested Dec 26 in Puerto Rico.
Eisenberg, to be brought from Puerto Rico to NY via Oklamoha - modified deisel therapy. Judge: Commodities Fraud and minipulation, and wire fraud. AUSA: He is consenting to detention. Judge: Based on what? AUSA: Risk of flight.
Judge Berman has set Feb 14 conference not yet on the docket, AUSA says.
A bit more (analysis) on Patreon, here
There's more detail on Patreon here.
Inner City Press will have more on these cases.
The criminal case is US v. Eisenberg, 23-cr-10 (Berman)
The CFTC case is Communities Futures Trading Commission v. Eisenberg, 23-cv-173 (Schofield)
The Mango Labbs civil case is Mango Labs, LLC v. Eisenberg, 23-cv-665 (Liman)
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