Family of Sam Bankman-Fried Appeals for Leniency in Court

The court has received 29 letters in support of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), urging leniency in his upcoming sentencing. These include letters from his family members and a cellmate, as reported by Business Insider.

“I genuinely fear for Sam’s life in a typical prison environment. His appearance and inability to read or adequately respond to many social cues, along with his touching but naive belief in the power of facts and reason to resolve disputes, put him in extreme danger,” wrote the defendant’s mother, Barbara Fried.

Appeals also came from the former FTX head’s father, Joseph Bankman, brother Gabriel Bankman-Fried, and associates of the former CEO. It was previously reported that SBF’s lawyer, Mark Mukasey, requested a sentence ranging from 63 to 78 months for his client.

A Unique Mind

Joseph Bankman warned that his son’s “peculiar” social cues, which lawyers argue should be attributed to “neurodivergence,” could be misinterpreted by other inmates as “disrespect or deceit.”

“Sam is only 32 years old, with his whole future ahead of him, but now he faces the prospect of spending much of his remaining life in prison. There is a very real possibility that his father and I will not live to see his release. There are no words to describe our grief,” added Barbara Fried.

According to SBF’s mother, her eldest son has been wrongly portrayed as a “cartoon villain driven by greed” who committed the “fraud of the century.” In reality, Bankman-Fried dedicated his life to altruism, dropped everything to help friends experiencing family tragedies, and “constantly battled depression,” she clarified.

“We knew about his condition, but our son described something deeper and sadder: he has never felt happiness or pleasure in his life and doesn’t think he is capable of feeling it,” the letter states.

In SBF’s personal notes, he reflected on his “unattractiveness” and quoted rapper Macklemore:

“I don’t feel pleasure. I don’t feel happiness. Somehow my reward system never kicked in. My most significant achievements, moments of my pride come and go, but I feel nothing but a nagging hole in my brain where happiness should be.”

Barbara Fried emphasized that her son is a “multifaceted person” with autism, who feels uncomfortable with close interactions and physical contact. She expressed hope that perhaps some of the inmates “will appreciate Sam when they get to know him better.”

Neighbourly Support

Bankman-Fried’s cellmate, Carmine Simpson—a former police officer convicted of distributing child pornography—spoke in his support. He stated that his cellmate has already faced attacks and extortion.

“In any setting, Sam is the least physically intimidating person, and this is especially noticeable in prison. This situation has led to him often becoming the target of bullying, harassment, and attacks more than the average inmate,” wrote Simpson.

He also spoke about SBF’s commitment to veganism. According to him, the former CEO of the collapsed exchange eats “undercooked rice, a spoonful of disgusting-looking beans, and week-old salad.”

Additionally, Bankman-Fried told Simpson that he started his business for “charity” and “helping those in need.” Initially, the cellmate did not believe in his sincerity, but later realized his “selflessness.”

Younger brother Gabriel Bankman-Fried wrote to the court that SBF’s approach to veganism illustrates both his “selflessness and awkwardness.”

“He wouldn’t chat about your dog, but in prison, he lives on bread and water to avoid eating animals. He never knew how to apologize, but he always quickly admitted his guilt. He was uncomfortable hugging me, but I know he would give a kidney if I needed it,” he concluded.

On November 2, 2023, SBF was found guilty on seven counts of money laundering, fraud, and conspiracy. He faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28.

The FTX founder has been in Brooklyn jail for nearly four months. According to WSJ, he shared a cell with former Honduran President Juan Hernandez and gave guards advice on cryptocurrency investments.

In December, blogger Tiffany Fong interviewed former mobster Gene Borrello, who was incarcerated with Bankman-Fried. He reported that initially, SBF was “out of his element” and was a target for attacks due to his timid nature and “body of an 80-year-old man.”

In September, the new leadership of FTX filed a lawsuit against Bankman-Fried’s parents to recover misappropriated funds and assets worth “millions of dollars.”