According to a Bloomberg report, Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, has been relocated to a temporary detention facility in Oklahoma. This transfer occurred despite a federal judge's request to keep him in New York to assist with his appeal. Bankman-Fried is currently dealing with the repercussions of his conviction for orchestrating a major fraud at FTX.
The transfer of Sam Bankman-Fried to Oklahoma
As mentioned on the Bureau of Prisons website, Sam Bankman-Fried is presently being held at the Federal Transfer Center located in Oklahoma City. While confined at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, he devoted a significant portion of the previous year to his trial preparation.
Bankman-Fried was given a 25-year prison sentence by Judge Lewis Kaplan, who on Wednesday suggested that he stay in Brooklyn "until his appeal has been fully briefed to facilitate access to appellate counsel."
Oddly, at the end of April, Sam Bankman-Fried, who had declared in the open that he would appeal the verdict, filed an official objection to the ruling.
In a post-conviction interview, Sam Bankman-Fried expressed concerns about the fairness of his trial, specifically criticizing Sullivan & Cromwell, the law firm representing FTX’s new owners. He accused the firm of colluding with the prosecution and obstructing his access to critical FTX documents that were shared with the prosecution. Bankman-Fried claimed that this interference negatively affected the trial, influencing media coverage and hindering the defense’s ability to present favorable evidence.
More Close To Family During Sentence?
Having now formally filed the appeal, Bankman-Fried is expecting for a different result, namely a decrease in his sentence. He underlined how crucial it was to present important witnesses and introduce crucial evidence, both of which he feels his defense was not allowed to accomplish during the trial.
A representative for Bankman-Fried, Mark Botnick, thanked the court for its consideration and hoped the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will follow its suggestion allowing Bankman-Fried to see his appellate attorney.
Sam Bankman-Fried might ultimately serve out the balance of his term in a California jail nearer to his family, per the story. The Oklahoma facility, which the Bureau of Prisons has designated as a transfer center, is built to hold inmates for a limited period of four to six weeks.
The native token of the exchange, FTT, is currently valued at $1.59, showing a slight fluctuation compared to Thursday's price with a minor decrease of 1%. Despite this small dip, the token has achieved a significant 12% price increase over the past month.
May 2024, Cryptoniteuae