Lawyers Seek Release for Sam Bankman-Fried Over Poor Internet Access

The defense team for former FTX chief Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) sought release from custody before trial, citing a lack of adequate internet access at the federal prison.

According to a filing dated September 8, despite government assurances that SBF would have access to a laptop on weekdays from 8:00 to 19:00, those promises have not been kept. The lawyers also cited two instances when their client had to interrupt communications.

On September 1, Bankman-Fried was ordered back to his cell for a roll call, taking four hours out of preparation time. On September 6, the founder could not access the needed documents due to a poor internet connection.

“Despite the government’s efforts, there appears to be no way to resolve the internet access problem in the prison block. … The defendant cannot prepare for trial with such restrictions,” the filing to Judge Lewis Kaplan states.

A previous motion for ‘temporary release’ the lawyers filed in late August. At that time they complained about the harsh conditions of the defendant’s detention.

In November 2022, FTX filed for bankruptcy. In December, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas and extradited to the United States, where he was released on $250 million bail.

The court canceled his release and remanded SBF in custody until the October 2023 hearing.

As reported in September, Apple paid $5 million for the rights to adapt Michael Lewis’s book about the founder of FTX.