U.S. Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan has postponed the sentencing of Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, after his lawyers moved from March 28 to “early to mid-May 2024.” When I asked them to reschedule, they refused.
Bankman-Fried is scheduled for a pre-sentence interview Thursday with the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System, which must recommend a sentence. His attorneys argued that the defense needed more time to prepare for sentencing proceedings.
Defense attorneys argued that government disclosures required for sentencing will not be submitted until February 2nd, saying, “The defendant must collect materials necessary for sentencing submission and prepare for appearance interviews.”
Bankman-Fried also faces a second trial scheduled to begin March 11 on charges of bank fraud and bribing Chinese government officials. His lawyers argued the government had not yet decided whether to proceed.
No previous objections
Judge Kaplan The defense said there was no prior objection to the sentencing date and that there was sufficient time.
“The defendant has already received one extension for sentencing submissions,” Kaplan wrote in the order, adding, “Bankman-Fried has been given six months to prepare for a pre-sentence interview.”
Sam Bankman-Fried be found guilty On November 2nd, a jury found FTX defrauded customers and investors, revealing massive misuse of customer funds. FTX file for bankruptcy Last November.
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About the author
Anna is a senior policy reporter and assistant editor at The Block. She has a background in political journalism and has covered Russian civil society for various media outlets in Moscow, including her award-winning newspaper, Novaya Gazeta. Before joining The Block, Anna spent the last five years at CoinDesk, researching global cryptocurrency policy and adoption. Anna says she owns Bitcoin and gift NFTs that have sentimental value.