Judge tells Sam Bankman-Fried to 'take it seriously' as prosecutors seek to revoke his bail

By: Henry Felix

Judge tells Sam Bankman-Fried to 'take it seriously' as prosecutors seek to revoke his bail

July 27, 2023 1:41 AM

According to Assistant US Attorney Danielle Sassoon, SBF made over 100 phone calls to the reporter behind The New York Times story revealing Caroline Ellison's private notebooks.


According to reports, a federal court hearing the criminal case against Sam Bankman-Fried, popularly known as "SBF," would consider withdrawing the former FTX CEO's $250 million bond due to claims of intimidation against Caroline Ellison. 


Individuals on the scene reported→ that during a July 26 hearing in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon demanded the revocation of SBF's bail based on allegations that he used his freedom to harass Ellison, his former romantic partner, and colleague. Sassoon claims that SBF contacted the reporter who broke the story about Ellison's online diaries almost one hundred times.


According to reports, on July 28 the United States government will have the opportunity to present its case before Judge Lewis Kaplan, and on August 3 SBF's legal team will have the same opportunity, with Kaplan urging Bankman-Fried, "better take it seriously." The judge approved an interim order filed by prosecutors that mainly barred SBF from issuing any extrajudicial statements up until the outcome of bail proceedings.

 

Related: FTX sues 'SBF' and former executives for $1B


The ex-FTX CEO has been in and out of court following his arrest and conviction in December 2022 to deal with issues arising from his bail terms, which entail staying primarily at his parents' California home. He is already prohibited from utilizing messaging applications, virtual private networks, and some technology.

 

 

In response to the DOJ's July 20 complaint stating that SBF interfered with a fair trial by publicly criticizing Ellison, his legal team claimed that any gag order should encompass possible witnesses, including current FTX CEO John Ray. Ray has frequently spoken to various media sites on a number of topics relating to the failed exchange since FTX filed for bankruptcy in November 2022.


Bankman-Fried's first criminal proceeding is set to begin on October 2, but he will most likely face a further trial beginning in March 2024. However, the ex-FTX CEO has pled not guilty to all allegations.