Prosecutors Doubt Authenticity of Bankman-Fried Prison Letter

Federal prosecutors have raised serious doubts about the authenticity of a letter submitted in the name of convicted FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, claiming it was not sent from his prison but shipped via a private carrier from outside the facility. The document, docketed in court on March 16, 2025, sought an extension for his motion challenging his 2023 fraud conviction and now faces scrutiny that could complicate his bid for a new trial.

Bankman-Fried, 32, is serving a 25-year sentence at Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island in San Pedro, California, following his November 2023 conviction on seven counts including wire fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy, and money laundering. The charges stemmed from the November 2022 collapse of FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded, which left about $8 billion in customer funds unaccounted for after revelations that the company had diverted deposits to its affiliated trading firm, Alameda Research.

In a March 22 filing to U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan in Manhattan, prosecutors highlighted multiple irregularities in the letter, which requested a one-month extension to April 16 to respond to a government brief....