Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team has slammed the prosecution’s sentencing recommendations as “disturbing.”
Draconian Punishment
In a letter to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys argue that the proposed 40-50-year sentence is “draconian” and portrays their client as a “supervillain.”
Distorted Reality
The lawyers accuse the government of distorting the facts to support its “loss” narrative and of attributing “dark and megalomaniacal motives” to Bankman-Fried. They also dismiss the prosecution’s claims that he is likely to re-offend as “apocalyptic prophecies.”
Medieval Punishment
The letter further criticizes the prosecution’s “medieval view of punishment,” which they say amounts to a “death-in-prison sentencing recommendation.”
Ignoring Bankruptcy Proceedings
Bankman-Fried’s lawyers point out that the government is ignoring the fact that FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings will ultimately result in customers and lenders being compensated.
Horrifying Interpretation
The letter concludes by expressing concern over the prosecution’s desire to keep Bankman-Fried behind bars for decades simply because he could theoretically commit fraud again. They describe this as a “horrifying interpretation of specific deterrence.”
