FTX founder’s legal saga continues as federal prosecutors question the authenticity of a retrial letter attributed to Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) due to major inconsistencies in signature, address, and delivery method.
SBF’s Retrial Motion Letter Under ScrutinyIn the filing, prosecutors told Judge Lewis Kaplan that the Government did not object “to a reasonable extension for the filing of the defendant’s reply in support of his motion for a new trial.”
In addition, the envelope indicates that the letter was sent by “S. Bankman-Fried at Terminal Island DOC, San Pedro, CA 90731.” Prosecutors noted that the BOP facility at Terminal Island is a Federal Correctional Institution (FCI), not a Department of Corrections (DOC) facility.
“While the return address indicates it was sent from ‘San Pedro,’ where the facility is located, FedEx tracking shows the package was picked up and shipped from Palo Alto or Menlo Park, California,” the filing highlighted.
Lastly, they also argued that the letter was signed with an “/s/” instead of the SBF’s actual signature. This format is commonly used in electronic legal filings rather than physical prison correspondence.
The judge’s extension and disclaimer follow Barbara Fried’s, SBF’s mother, attempts to request additional time to file papers on her son’s behalf, citing the FTX founder’s limited prison access to files and an anticipated transfer.
DOJ Requests Denial Of FTX Founder’s New Trial BidIn November 2023, Bankman-Fried was found guilty of seven criminal counts, including fraud and conspiracy. He was later sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to pay back $11 billion to FTX customers.
In February, Bankman-Fried filed a motion for a new trial without assistance from his legal team, arguing new evidence could tilt the scales in his favor. In his new-trial bid, he affirmed that the testimony from two former FTX executives, Ryan Salame and Daniel Chapsky, could have weakened the government’s case against SBF at trial.
Moreover, he claimed he was a victim of a “weaponized” Biden-era Department of Justice, while requesting a new judge under the argument that Kaplan had “manifest prejudice” toward SBF.
The Department of Justice urged Judge Kaplan to deny Bankman-Fried’s request for a retrial earlier this month, asserting that the defense has not come close to meeting the legal requirements necessary for one.
