Overview
Sam Bankman-Fried, the former co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has submitted a request for a new trial in federal court in Manhattan. The filing is dated February 5 and was officially entered on the docket this week. Bankman-Fried filed the motion pro se, meaning he is representing himself in the proceeding.
Contents of the motion
In his submission, Bankman-Fried argues that witness testimony that was not previously part of the record could rebut elements of the prosecution's case. The motion asks the court to permit a new trial on that basis. The filing is presented as distinct from any formal appeal of his 2023 conviction.
Case status and sentence
Bankman-Fried was convicted on all seven counts in the matter United States v. Bankman-Fried. The charges for which he was found guilty included fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. On March 28, 2024, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $11 billion.
Procedural notes
The current request for a new trial is a separate procedural action from the standard appellate process. The filing was made pro se, a fact the motion itself notes and which indicates Bankman-Fried is not relying on counsel for this particular submission.
What the filing claims
The core assertion in the request is that newly available witness testimony could undercut the prosecution's narrative. Beyond that assertion, the filing as docketed does not include additional factual claims about the identity of such witnesses or the substance of their purported testimony.
Next steps
The filing will be considered by the Manhattan federal court. Because the request is separate from a formal appeal of the 2023 conviction, it will proceed through the district court's procedures for motions for a new trial and any responses from the prosecution.