• U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan expressed concerns about the bail conditions of former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, suggesting he could find ways to evade the restrictions and covertly communicate with others electronically.
• The proposed bail conditions would have prohibited Bankman-Fried from using smartphones, tablets, computers and any video game platforms or devices that allow chat and voice communication.
• Christian Everdell, Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, assured the court that he would work with prosecutors on a new proposal to address the judge’s concerns.
U.S. District Judge Expresses Concerns Over Proposed Bail Conditions for Former FTX Founder
U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan has expressed concern over the proposed bail conditions for former FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in a March 10 hearing at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Proposed Bail Conditions for Bankman-Fried
The proposed bail conditions state that Bankman-Fried should be prohibited from using smartphones, tablets, computers and any video game platforms or devices that allow chat and voice communication; instead it suggests he use „a flip phone or other non-smartphone with either no internet capabilities or internet capabilities disabled.“
Judge Worries About Possible Evasion of Restrictions
During the hearing, Kaplan suggested that Bankman-Fried was „inventive“ and could find ways to evade the restrictions and covertly communicate with others electronically; expressing his worry that “He could find a way around it and conceivably not get caught.“
Bankman-Fried’s Lawyer Assures Court He Will Work On New Proposal
Christian Everdell, Bankman-Fried’s lawyer, assured the court that he would work with prosecutors on a new proposal to address the judge’s concerns.
Background on Bankman-Fried’s Legal Situation
Bankman-Fried is currently fighting to avoid jail until his scheduled fraud trial on Oct 2nd this year; prosecutors have charged him with stealing billions of dollars in FTX customer funds, making tens of millions of dollars in illegal political donations, and tampering with witnesses. Additionally, he was temporarily prohibited from using a VPN after prosecutors alleged that he had utilized it twice previously.