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Sam Bankman-Fried- Case Archive
personpersonPaige OwensPaige OwensFederal Bureau of Investigation forensic accountant assigned to the public corruption unit.← All People
Witness· Federal Bureau of Investigation

Paige Owens

Federal Bureau of Investigation forensic accountant assigned to the public corruption unit.

AppearedFederal Criminal Trial
127 lines·5 proceedings·2 mentions

About

Called by the government on Day 11, Paige Owens testified as an FBI forensic accountant and certified public accountant. She explained that she reviewed stipulated bank records and worked with the government to prepare and check three charts using last-in, first-out tracing. Government Exhibits 1088, 1089, and 1090 were received without objection.

Her direct testimony followed selected transfers from Alameda Research, FTX Digital Markets, and North Dimension through accounts associated with Samuel Bankman-Fried, Nishad Singh, and Ryan Salame to political recipients. She described LIFO as the method the government asked her to apply and said her involvement in the case was limited to preparing and reviewing the exhibits.

On cross-examination, Owens agreed that prosecutors chose the accounts, dates, transfers, and political organizations for her analysis. She acknowledged that FIFO and LIFO are both common, can yield different results, and impose tracing assumptions because dollars in an account are fungible. After reviewing bank statements to refresh her recollection, she identified Heller & Robbins rather than North Dimension as the LIFO source of the identified VIEW PAC payment.

Owens also agreed that her work traced funds leaving specified accounts but did not determine the origin of money entering the Alameda Research and North Dimension accounts. On redirect, she used Government Exhibit 1089 to identify selected incoming and outgoing wires occurring on the same dates. The defense later argued that her tracing did not establish Bankman-Fried's intent and cited the VIEW PAC testimony when challenging the analysis.

Trial Record (5)

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

Called by the government on Day 11, Paige Owens presented FBI forensic-accounting charts tracing selected transfers through accounts associated with FTX, Alameda, and political donations. Cross-examination established that prosecutors selected the inputs, alternative tracing methods could produce different results, and her analysis did not determine the upstream origin of funds.

Day 11

DirectPaige Owens — DirectPaige OwensThane Rehn3highlights65lines spoken

Summary

FBI forensic accountant Paige Owens explained government-prepared charts tracing funds from Alameda Research, FTX Digital Markets, and North Dimension accounts through accounts associated with Samuel Bankman-Fried, Nishad Singh, and Ryan Salame to political contributions.

Highlights (3)

evidence eventOwens authenticated the accuracy and bank-record basis of three fund-flow charts; the defense did not object, and the court received Government Exhibits 1088, 1089, and 1090.Open in transcript →
Quote“These exhibits are charts that I produced in conjunction with the government that details the flow of funds from various business accounts to certain individuals and the eventual political contributions made.”— Paige OwensOwens described the purpose and government-assisted preparation of the principal tracing exhibits.Open in transcript →
testimony highlightOwens traced two Alameda wires totaling $1 million into Nishad Singh's account to 16 political-entity wires sent during October 2022.Open in transcript →
CrossPaige Owens — CrossPaige OwensChristian R. Everdell4highlights53lines spoken

Summary

Owens acknowledged that fund-tracing results depend on the chosen accounting method, attributed the identified VIEW PAC payment to Heller & Robbins after reviewing bank statements, and confirmed that she did not analyze the origin of funds entering Alameda or North Dimension accounts.

Highlights (4)

testimony highlightOwens confirmed that LIFO and FIFO are both available tracing methods, can produce different results, and impose accounting parameters because money in an account is fungible.Open in transcript →
impeachmentAfter reviewing the Greylock statements to refresh her recollection, Owens testified that under LIFO the source of the VIEW PAC payment was Heller & Robbins rather than North Dimension.Open in transcript →
Quote“Looking at these statements, using the LIFO method, the source of VIEW PAC was Heller & Robbins.”— Paige OwensOwens's refreshed recollection changed the LIFO attribution for the identified VIEW PAC payment from North Dimension to a later incoming transfer from Heller & Robbins.Open in transcript →
admissionOwens acknowledged that her analysis traced transfers from Alameda Research and North Dimension accounts but did not determine where the money in those accounts originated.Open in transcript →
RedirectPaige Owens — RedirectPaige OwensThane Rehn2highlights9lines spoken

Summary

Owens used Government Exhibit 1089 to identify selected incoming and outgoing wires occurring on the same dates, while the court sustained one form objection and overruled another.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightThe court overruled a form objection to a transaction-specific question, and Owens identified March 11, 2022, as the date of the transfer from Samuel Bankman-Fried's account to Guarding Against Pandemics.Open in transcript →
Quote“The wire from Sam Bankman-Fried's account to Guarding Against Pandemics was sent on March 11, 2022.”— Paige OwensOwens gave a transaction-specific date while the prosecution used the chart to compare the timing of incoming and outgoing wires.Open in transcript →

Day 18