Lawyer Seeks 6.5-Year Sentence for Sam Bankman-Fried

Mark Mukasey, the attorney for FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), petitioned the court to impose a sentence ranging from 63 to 78 months for his client.

“A suitable method for delivering a fair decision would be to consider the adjusted offense level (intermediate result), which is 56, reduced by 30 levels, based on zero damage. This provides a recommended range of 63-78 months,” the court documents state.

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 lawyer described the potential life sentence as “grotesque” and objected to the “inflated” assessment of the financial damage from FTX’s bankruptcy at $10 billion.

The defense’s plea also highlights Bankman-Fried’s upbringing, moral character, attention to philanthropy, and that his actions “were never motivated by greed or status.”

“A sentence spanning several decades would deprive Sam of the opportunity to lead a meaningful life and assist those most in need in society,” the lawyer stated.

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

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