The first prison photo of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried in prison was released on Tuesday by crypto influencer Tiffany Fong on February 19.
The photo depicts a somewhat disheveled Bankman-Fried in what Fong believes may be the first image of the now disgraced crypto mastermind following his arrest in August 2023.
The Last Photo of SBF?
Dated December 17th, 2023, Bankman-Fried is seen posing alongside fellow inmates, including former Blood gang member, G Lock, in the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, NY.
First photo of Sam Bankman-Fried in jail at MDC Brooklyn. (December 17, 2023) pic.twitter.com/QlENjjmeQG
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) February 20, 2024
With electronics banned during Bankman-Fried’s court appearances and during visits at MDC, this latest photo may be one of the last seen of Bankman-Fried for a considerable amount of time as the fraudster faces what could be the remainder of his life in prison following his November 2023 conviction for his role in FTX’s collapse.
A 1 Month Trial and Potential 100-year sentence
The month-long trial saw several Bankman-Fried’s former executives testify against him, including FTX’s former head of engineering, Nishad Singh, FTX co-founder, Gary Wang, and former Alameda Research CEO, Caroline Ellison.
Prosecutors alleged Bankman-Fried orchestrated an elaborate scheme that saw clients of FTX and its sister company Alameda Research drained of an estimated $8 billion.
Lawyers for the FTX founder struggled through their arguments before Bankman-Fried ultimately decided to testify in his own defense, with one of the attorneys who assisted on his case calling him the “worst person” he had ever seen under cross-examination.
Bankman-Fried is facing what could be a total of over 100 years in prison, though sentencing largely depends on the judge’s jurisdiction and pre-established statutory guidelines.
Former Fellow Inmate of Sam Bankman-Fried Speaks Out
In addition to the new photo of Bankman-Fried, Fong released a clip of an upcoming interview with G Lock set to be released this week.
In the clip, G Lock claims that Bankman-Fried has not showered during his time in prison, grown out a “full beard,” and lost weight.
Thank you to my new friend ex blood gang member, G Lock!!pic.twitter.com/JjYbezpsl7
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) February 20, 2024
Despite calling him “strange,” G Lock refers to the FTX founder as “a good guy” and “more gangster than Tekashi69.”
“Free Sam Bankman (Fried),” the former Blood gang member Fong said. “Joe Biden, you know what’s up. Pardon my son for real. You know what to do, Joe.”
Bankman-Fried is due back in Manhattan federal court for a Curcio hearing on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 21. His sentencing is currently scheduled for March 28.
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