Sam Bankman-Fried Accused of Attempting to Influence Witnesses in US Case

• US prosecutors have accused Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the former CEO of FTX, of attempting to influence witnesses in a case being investigated by the US government.
• The prosecutors have requested the judge to restrict SBF’s access to encrypted messaging systems and prohibit him from contacting former workers of FTX and Alameda Research.
• In a letter released on Friday, the prosecutors mentioned a Signal message sent by SBF to „Witness-1“ on January 15, which suggest an effort to influence Witness-1’s potential testimony.

Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has been accused by US prosecutors of attempting to influence witnesses in a case being investigated by the federal government. According to court documents released on Friday, the Southern District of New York attorneys have requested the judge to restrict SBF’s access to encrypted messaging systems such as „Signal,“ as well as prohibiting him from contacting former employees of FTX and Alameda Research.

The prosecutors specifically mentioned a Signal message sent by SBF to „Witness-1“ on January 15, which reads: „I would really love to reconnect and see if there’s a way for us to have a constructive relationship, use each other as resources when possible, or at least vet things with each other.“ The prosecutors believe that this message was indicative of an effort by the defendant to influence the potential testimony of the witness.

The attorneys further noted that SBF has a history of using Signal for obstructive purposes, and that this message was consistent with that pattern. Moreover, given that the defendant is aware that Witness-1 may have information that tends to implicate the defendant, this is seen as a cause for concern.

The US prosecutors have now requested the judge to restrict SBF’s access to encrypted messaging systems and prohibit him from contacting former workers of FTX and Alameda Research, in order to ensure that the defendant is unable to further influence the witnesses in the case. If the judge grants the prosecutors‘ request, it could have serious implications for SBF and the case.