Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried whitethorn not person a maximum sentence, CNBC said connected Nov. 4, citing statements from erstwhile authorities prosecutors.
Renato Mariotti, erstwhile a authoritative wrong the U.S. Department of Justice, predicted that Bankman-Fried volition walk 20 to 25 years successful prison. Bankman-Fried’s maximum imaginable sentence, by contrast, has mostly been placed astatine 110 to 115 years.
Mariotti implied that 2 decades is nevertheless a terrible sentence. He noted that Bankman-Fried committed “immense” fraud done FTX and allegedly lied connected the witnesser stand. Mariotti said that Judge Lewis Kaplan volition apt person much sympathy for victims than Bankman-Fried erstwhile it comes clip to enforce a sentence.
In a connection to CNBC, Mariotti said:
“The national sentencing guidelines volition apt beryllium entity high, but they are conscionable that … the justice is required to see each of the circumstances surrounding SBF and his offense.”
Another ex-prosecutor — erstwhile Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin J. O’Brien — provided a akin estimate. He suggested that Bankman-Fried’s condemnation volition apt beryllium “in the 15 to 20-year range” arsenic judges person discretion successful sentencing. O’Brien besides suggested that Bankman-Fried’s comparatively young property could pb Judge Kaplan to springiness him a accidental astatine beingness aft prison. The erstwhile FTX CEO is 31 years old.
Those experts did not remark connected different imaginable leniencies — specified arsenic the anticipation that Bankman-Fried could service portion of his condemnation nether location arrest, oregon the anticipation that the months that helium has already spent successful situation volition beryllium counted toward his sentence.
Others expect harsher sentence
Another ineligible adept suggested that Bankman-Fried could person a overmuch harsher sentence. Yesha Yadav, a instrumentality prof and Associate Dean astatine Vanderbilt University, said that Bankman-Fried’s condemnation could beryllium overmuch person to the 110-year maximum.
Yadav noted assorted factors that could widen the sentence, specified arsenic the fig of customers harmed, the size of the fraud successful dollar value, the severity of damage, and the information that jurors reached a unanimous determination connected Bankman-Fried’s guilt reasonably quickly. He nevertheless admitted that Bankman-Fried’s youth, and the information that the erstwhile executive’s crimes were not convulsive successful nature, could trim the sentence.
A separate report from Forbes cites Jared Carter, an Epner and Vermont Law School professor, arsenic different ineligible adept who expects a lengthy sentence. Carter said that helium volition beryllium amazed if Bankman-Fried receives little than 25 years successful prison.
Bankman-Fried besides faces a 2nd proceedings concerning charges related to U.S. run financing and bribery of Chinese officials, perchance extending his sentence.
The erstwhile enforcement was recovered blameworthy connected each 7 existent charges, chiefly related to FTX’s fraud, connected Nov. 2. He volition person his condemnation connected March 28, 2024.
The station SBF volition apt service 25 years alternatively than max sentence, erstwhile DOJ authoritative says appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.