After a highly anticipated hearing session for the verdict, a major judgment has been handed down on Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, on charges of embezzling billions of dollars from customers.
The ruling, announced by Judge Louis Kaplan in the Federal Court of Manhattan, marks a significant chapter in the saga surrounding the downfall of the once-prominent figure in the digital currency world.
The judgment against Bankman-Fried comes after a month-long trial last November, during which he was convicted on seven charges related to the collapse of FTX and the disappearance of nearly $10 billion in customer deposits.
While prosecutors sought a sentence of between 40 to 50 years in prison for Sam Bankman-Fried, reports indicate that the defense team advocated for a sentence ranging from five to six years, hoping that FTX clients could recover most, if not all, of the funds they lost when the exchange went bankrupt in 2022.
Last month, lawyers representing the bankruptcy of FTX told a judge in Delaware that they expect to fully reimburse clients and creditors with legitimate claims, although there remains a significant amount of work and risk in the future to recover all funds for clients.
Ultimately, Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the fraud and conspiracy scheme that led to the collapse of the once-prominent digital currency exchange. SBF was also fined $11 billion.
Judge Kaplan noted that Bankman-Fried did not offer “any expression of remorse for committing these heinous crimes.”
The judge made his decision after a two-hour hearing in a Manhattan courtroom, during which prosecutors, Bankman-Fried himself, his lawyer, a victim, and a lawyer representing other victims of FTX made statements.
John Carter, Chief Public Relations Officer at Crypto, told Investing.com, “The 25-year prison sentence for Sam Bankman-Fried signifies the end of one of the worst fraud and conspiracy cases in the digital currency realm to date.”
“The impact of FTX’s collapse on the broader ecosystem will forever be remembered as a defining moment in the previous digital currency winter. The decision marks the end of an era, and we hope it’s a step closer to broader regulation of digital currencies through meaningful precedents.”
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement, “Samuel Bankman-Fried orchestrated one of the largest financial frauds in history, stealing over $8 billion from his clients’ funds.”
“Today’s verdict will prevent the defendant from committing fraud again and sends a strong message to others tempted to commit financial crimes that justice will be swift and the consequences severe.”
