FTX Founder Fights Back: Claims Biased Judge Led to 25-Year Sentence

• Sam Bankman-Fried filed an appeal, accusing Judge Kaplan of bias and limiting key evidence in his defense.
• SBF’s legal team claims the judge’s rulings tilted the trial in favor of the prosecution.
• FTX founder was sentenced to 25 years for fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering after an $8B crypto collapse.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced former CEO of FTX, is fighting back against his conviction, alleging bias from the presiding judge. This move follows his 25-year prison sentence for an $8 billion fraud. Bankman-Fried contends that Judge Lewis A. Kaplan’s rulings hindered his ability to mount a proper defense, warranting a new trial.

Bankman-Fried’s Legal Team Files 102-Page Appeal Against Judge

On September 13, Bankman-Fried’s legal team filed a 102-page document that challenges several key rulings made by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan during his trial. The FTX founder was handed a 25-year jail sentence earlier this year after being found guilty of fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering connected to the dramatic collapse of his crypto platform.

Read also: Caroline Ellison Seeks Leniency in FTX Case, Citing Cooperation in Trial

In the appeal, Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, Alexandra A.E. Shapiro, accused Judge Kaplan of bias, asserting that he presumed her client’s guilt from the outset. “Sam Bankman-Fried was never presumed innocent,” Shapiro wrote, arguing that the judge’s decisions prevented Bankman-Fried from presenting critical evidence and witnesses.

FTX Founder Accuses Judge of Limiting Key Witness Testimony

A majority portion of Bankman-Fried’s appeal centers around the judge’s rulings, which Bankman-Fried’s team claims prevented key witnesses from testifying. They argue that Kaplan’s decisions gave the prosecutors the upper hand, leading to a swift conviction. The legal filing emphasizes that these limitations violated Bankman-Fried’s right to a fair trial, necessitating a retrial.

Bankman-Fried’s fraud trial made headlines worldwide as FTX, once one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges, collapsed spectacularly, leading to billions in losses for customers and investors. During sentencing, Bankman-Fried addressed the court, expressing regret for the massive fallout. He said: 

“A lot of people feel really let down, and they were very let down, and I am sorry about that.”

Despite his apology, the appeal portrays Bankman-Fried as a victim of a biased judicial process. The success of this appeal remains uncertain, but it adds another chapter to the ongoing legal saga surrounding one of the most significant crypto scandals in history.