According to a Bloomberg report, Sam Bankman-Fried, the co-founder of crypto exchange FTX, has been moved to a temporary detention center in Oklahoma, contrary to a federal judge’s request to keep him in New York for help him in his appeal.
The move comes as Bankman-Fried faces the consequences of his conviction for orchestrating significant fraud at FTX.
Sam Bankman-Fried transferred to Oklahoma
According to report, Sam Bankman-Fried is currently housed at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, as listed on the Bureau of Prisons website. He spent much of the last year preparing for trial while incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Judge Lewis Kaplan, who sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison, recommended Wednesday that he remain in Brooklyn “until his appeal has been fully briefed to facilitate access to appellate counsel.” “.
Curiously, Sam Bankman-Fried, who had publicly announced his intention to appeal the conviction, officially opposed the decision in late April.
In a post-conviction situation interviewhe expressed concerns about the fairness of his trial and specifically targeted Sullivan & Cromwell, the law firm representing FTX’s new owners.
The disgraced FTX co-founder accused the company of colluding with the prosecution and preventing him from accessing crucial FTX documents shared with the prosecution.
Sam Bankman-Fried said the interference had a “detrimental impact” on the trial, including media coverage and the defense’s ability to present favorable arguments. evidence.
Closer to his family while he serves his sentence?
With the appeal now officially filed, Bankman-Fried is seeking a different outcome, hoping for a reduction in his sentence. He stressed the importance of presenting vital evidence and presenting key witnesses, something he said his defense was not given the opportunity to do during the trial.
Mark Botnick, a spokesman for Bankman-Fried, expressed gratitude for the court’s attention and hoped the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) would comply with the court recommendation to grant Bankman-Fried access to his appellate counsel.
According to the report, Sam Bankman-Fried could possibly be transferred to a prison closer to his family in California to serve the remainder of his sentence. The Oklahoma facility, classified as a transfer center by the Bureau of Prisons, is designed to house inmates for a limited period of four to six weeks.
The native token of the exchange, TTF, is currently valued at $1.59, reflecting marginal fluctuations from Thursday’s price, indicating a slight decline of 1%. Nonetheless, the token demonstrated a remarkable 12% appreciation over the past month.
Featured image from Bloomberg, chart from TradingView.com
