© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former FTX Chief Govt Sam Bankman-Fried, who faces fraud costs over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency change, exits the Manhattan federal court docket in New York Metropolis, U.S. February 16, 2023. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
By Jonathan Stempel
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Sam Bankman-Fried must be allowed whereas on bail to have a flip telephone with no web functionality and a fundamental laptop computer with restricted features, however be forbidden from utilizing different digital communication gadgets, the U.S. Division of Justice mentioned.
The proposal to restrict the indicted FTX cryptocurrency change founder’s communications was filed late on Friday in Manhattan federal court docket, on behalf of the federal government and Bankman-Fried’s protection group.
It requires approval by U.S. District Choose Lewis Kaplan, who oversees the case.
Kaplan had signaled at a Feb. 16 listening to that he would possibly jail the 30-year-old Bankman-Fried for testing the boundaries of his $250 million bail package deal by speaking in ways in which couldn’t be monitored.
The choose mentioned he didn’t wish to set Bankman-Fried “free on this backyard of digital gadgets,” following accusations that Bankman-Fried tried to contact potential authorities witnesses and used a digital non-public community to observe soccer.
Bankman-Fried pleaded not responsible after prosecutors mentioned he stole billions of {dollars} of FTX buyer funds to plug losses at his Alameda Analysis hedge fund. He faces 12 felony costs beneath an indictment made public on Feb. 23.
The proposed flip telephone or different non-smartphone for Bankman-Fried can be restricted to voice calls and SMS textual content messages.
Laptop computer web use can be restricted to specified digital non-public networks, 23 web sites for private use together with information, sports activities and meals supply, and web sites to assist Bankman-Fried put together for his scheduled Oct. 2 trial.
Bankman-Fried resides beneath home arrest along with his dad and mom, each Stanford Legislation Faculty professors, in Palo Alto, California.
The dad and mom agreed to submit sworn affidavits that they might not carry different digital gadgets into their house or let their son use theirs.
Additionally they agreed that every gadget would carry software program that periodically takes movies or images of the consumer, which court docket officers can be allowed to overview, the letter mentioned.
Bankman-Fried’s attorneys didn’t instantly reply on Saturday to requests for remark.
