Skip to content
Sam Bankman-Fried- Case Archive
personpersonKrystal RolleKrystal RolleBahamian litigation attorney and partner at Rolle & Rolle who represented Samuel Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas.← All People
Witness· Rolle & Rolle

Krystal Rolle

Bahamian litigation attorney and partner at Rolle & Rolle who represented Samuel Bankman-Fried in the Bahamas.

AppearedFederal Criminal Trial
131 lines·6 proceedings·4 mentions

About

Called by the defense on Day 14, Rolle testified as a fact witness about events she observed while serving as Samuel Bankman-Fried's personal lawyer in the Bahamas. She said she was retained on November 12, 2022, for a mandatory Securities Commission interview concerning FTX's collapse.

On direct examination, Rolle described accompanying Bankman-Fried to FTX Digital Markets' offices, where the Securities Commission and the Supreme Court of the Bahamas directed the transfer of company digital assets into Commission-controlled wallets. She authenticated the Commission notice and Supreme Court order admitted as Defense Exhibits 837 and 836, and said Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang began the transfer process. She also recounted remaining at the offices until after 2 a.m., Bankman-Fried's later agreement to surrender his passport and attend police questioning, and subsequent fact-finding meetings with the Commission and a liquidator. Her account supported the defense's presentation of those post-collapse actions as responses to Bahamian authorities.

On cross-examination, Rolle acknowledged meeting with defense lawyers before testifying but said the preparation did not affect her truthful answers. She clarified that she represented Bankman-Fried personally, was not an FTX employee, and was unfamiliar with FTX when retained. She denied having firsthand knowledge of customer funds or company spending and limited her account to November 12, 2022, and later events.

Trial Record (6)

FederalFederal Criminal TrialOct 3, 2023 – Nov 2, 2023Called by defense

Called by the defense on Day 14, Rolle described Bahamian directives surrounding post-collapse asset transfers and later official meetings, while acknowledging on cross-examination that she had no firsthand knowledge of FTX's customer funds, spending, or earlier operations.

Day 14

DirectKrystal Rolle — DirectKrystal RolleChristian R. Everdell8highlights106lines spoken

Summary

Krystal Rolle described the Bahamian orders directing FTX Digital Markets asset transfers, Bankman-Fried's participation in the transfer process, and his subsequent interactions with regulators and police.

Highlights (8)

Quote“Given that it was a part of their investigation and given the fact that liquidation proceedings had already been commenced, as it relates to the Bahamian entity, it was mandatory for him to attend.”— Krystal RolleRolle characterized Bankman-Fried's November 12 appearance before the Securities Commission as compulsory rather than voluntary.Open in transcript →
evidence eventRolle authenticated the Securities Commission's notice of order, and Defense Exhibit 837 was admitted and published to the jury.Open in transcript →
evidence eventRolle authenticated the Supreme Court of the Bahamas order, and Defense Exhibit 836 was admitted and published to the jury.Open in transcript →
testimony highlightRolle testified that the court order directed the transfer of company digital assets to the Securities Commission and that noncompliance could result in contempt and imprisonment.Open in transcript →
Show all 8 highlights
Quote“Well, this is a court order issued by the Supreme Court. Failure to comply has a result of being held in contempt of court and imprisonment.”— Krystal RolleRolle explained her understanding of the consequences Bankman-Fried could have faced for failing to comply with the Bahamian court order.Open in transcript →
testimony highlightRolle testified that Bankman-Fried and Gary Wang began transferring assets to Commission-created wallets, after which police officers arrived and arrangements were made for later questioning and passport surrender.Open in transcript →
Quote“Mr. Bankman-Fried, in conjunction with Mr. Gary Wang, then began the process of transferring the assets into wallets that had been created by the Securities Commission for that purpose.”— Krystal RolleRolle gave a firsthand account connecting the asset-transfer activity to wallets created by the Bahamian regulator.Open in transcript →
Quote“Mr. Bankman-Fried agreed to surrender his passport as an indication of good faith, consistent with his agreement to surrender himself for questioning the following week rather than be taken that evening for questioning.”— Krystal RolleRolle described the arrangement reached after Bahamian police officers arrived during the asset-transfer process.Open in transcript →
CrossKrystal Rolle — CrossKrystal RolleNicolas Roos5highlights24lines spoken

Summary

Krystal Rolle said she had no firsthand knowledge of FTX customer funds or spending and limited her information to events beginning November 12, 2022.

Highlights (5)

objectionRolle acknowledged meeting with defense lawyers, including on the morning of her testimony, but said those meetings did not affect her truthful answers. The court sustained one form objection and overruled objections to the revised questions.Open in transcript →
admissionRolle clarified that she was retained as Bankman-Fried's personal lawyer, had not worked at FTX, and had no firsthand knowledge of what happened with FTX customer funds.Open in transcript →
Quote“Not at all. Was not even familiar with FTX.”— Krystal RolleRolle succinctly described her lack of familiarity with FTX when her representation began.Open in transcript →
admissionAfter additional objection rulings, Rolle limited the information she provided to events on November 12, 2022, and afterward, agreeing that it did not concern anything before that date.Open in transcript →
Show all 5 highlights
Quote“I don't know when the liquidation proceedings occurred. The information that I gave today is as to the occurrences on the 12th of November and thereafter.”— Krystal RolleRolle expressly limited the temporal scope of her testimony while preserving her uncertainty about when the liquidation proceedings began.Open in transcript →

Day 16

Day 18