Jailed FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried asks Trump to erase his fraud conviction
Sam Bankman-Fried, the former cryptocurrency magnate currently imprisoned for fraud, has requested a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Bankman-Fried received a 25-year sentence after being found guilty of multiple federal charges linked to FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange he founded and led, along with its affiliated company Alameda Research.
Just two years into that sentence, the 34-year-old former billionaire has now submitted an application for pardon after completion of sentence to the Department of Justice, according to online records.
If Bankman-Fried is eventually granted a pardon, his crimes would legally be forgiven.
A White House representative declined to comment. Bankman-Fried’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
A "pardon after completion of sentence" would mean that Bankman-Fried’s conviction on various counts of fraud would be wiped away after serving his jail time.
He has not requested a commutation, which would entail shortening his current prison term.
However, he is currently pursuing an appeal against his sentence and has consistently claimed innocence.
Bankman-Fried became renowned in the digital currency world as FTX rose to prominence as a cryptocurrency exchange used by millions.
The company collapsed in 2022 amid accusations that Bankman-Fried misappropriated deposited funds, using them for personal investments and debt payments.
His pardon request is one of over 20,000 seeking either pardon or commutations, according to records from the Office of the Pardon Attorney for the Justice Department.
During his second term, Trump has granted numerous pardons, including to hundreds involved in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, former staff members accused of various crimes, the founder of a dark web marketplace for drug sales, and even the leader of another crypto platform, Binance.
Nevertheless, Trump was asked earlier this year if he would pardon Bankman-Fried. At that time, he indicated he would not.
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