Sam Bankman-Fried Appeals 25-Year Sentence, Claims He Was Presumed Guilty
Sam Bankman-Fried, the convicted co-founder of collapsed crypto alternate FTX, has filed an appeal difficult his 25-year jail sentence.
His authorized group argues he was “presumed responsible” from the outset and denied a good trial because of judicial bias and public prejudice.
According to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys submitted a submitting to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York, alleging their consumer’s conviction stemmed from a “rush to judgment” by prosecutors, the media, and U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan.
“Sam Bankman-Fried was by no means presumed harmless. He was presumed responsible—earlier than he was even charged,” the protection acknowledged.
The submitting accuses Judge Kaplan of displaying bias throughout proceedings, claiming he “repeatedly ridiculed” the protection group and confirmed disbelief in Bankman-Fried’s testimony earlier than the jury.
Sam Bankman-Fried Conviction and Appeal Strategy
Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy associated to the collapse of FTX and its buying and selling affiliate, Alameda Research.
Prosecutors alleged he misappropriated over $8 billion in buyer funds to cowl losses, make political donations, and finance luxurious actual property purchases.
Despite claiming he by no means supposed to defraud anybody, jurors returned a responsible verdict after lower than 5 hours of deliberation.
Leading the attraction is Alexandra Shapiro, a seasoned appellate legal professional identified for overturning high-profile white-collar convictions.
She lately received on behalf of Iconix Brand Group founder Neil Cole, who was cleared by the Second Circuit final week.
Shapiro plans to argue that Judge Kaplan unfairly restricted Bankman-Fried’s capacity to current proof, together with his claim that FTX had sufficient assets to repay clients and that his actions have been guided by authorized recommendation from firm counsel.
The protection asserts Kaplan pressured jurors into a fast choice by providing to increase deliberations late into the night with dinner supplied.
They declare the decide’s remarks, together with calling a part of Bankman-Fried’s testimony “a joke“, compromised trial equity. The attraction seeks to overturn his 25-year sentence and problem the $11 billion restitution order.
His attorneys are requesting a brand new trial below a special decide.
Pardon Speculation
Reports earlier this yr indicated SBF’s mother and father explored possible avenues for a presidential pardon from President Donald Trump.
In March, Bankman-Fried appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, criticizing former SEC Chair Gary Gensler.
Last month, a post on his official X account alleged that “Biden’s anti-crypto SEC/DOJ went after him and arrested him in 2022 to forestall his testimony on Capitol Hill.
Sam Bankman-Fried @SBF_FTX says his 2022 arrest wasn’t justice however politics, claiming the Biden administration turned on him after he backed GOP candidates.#SBF #GOP https://t.co/T5ICfCHuWG
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 15, 2025
“They had me arrested weeks earlier than the crypto invoice I used to be engaged on was set for a vote—and the night time earlier than I used to be set to testify earlier than Congress,” the put up acknowledged.
While Bankman-Fried’s authorized group stays assured, authorized consultants recommend overturning a high-profile conviction of this nature stays unsure.
Top crypto voices imagine SBF isn’t any Ross Ulbricht or Changpeng Zhao, and a pardon would send a dangerous message to dangerous actors.
Eliminating penalties lower than a yr after sentencing may embolden different entrepreneurs to prey on traders.
Impact of FTX Collapse on Victims
FTX’s collapse has had a profound affect on its victims. One creditor wrote forward of SBF’s sentencing:
“My entire life has been destroyed. I’ve two younger kids, one born proper earlier than the collapse. Beyond the cash, I misplaced my happiness, my capacity to get away from bed, my need to proceed dwelling. My spouse is suicidal and depressed.”
Others described being delivered to the brink of dropping their houses, and the way onerous work to tug their households out of “generational poverty“ was undone when FTX abruptly halted withdrawals.
Bankman-Fried is at the moment serving his sentence in a federal facility in California and isn’t anticipated to look on the attraction listening to.
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