SBF attorneys call prosecutors’ sentencing recommendation ‘medieval’

The former FTX CEO faces a maximum sentence of 110 years and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 28

article-image

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried | Getty modified by Blockworks

share

Attorneys for Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder and former CEO of FTX who was convicted of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy last year, are making an eleventh-hour plea to the court ahead of sentencing next week. 

The government’s proposed 40-50 year sentence is a “medieval view of punishment” suitable only for a “super villain,” Bankman-Fried’s team said. 

The prosecution, which earlier this month submitted their recommendations to the court for how long Bankman-Fried should be behind bars, has displayed “marked hostility,” Marc Mukasey, a new member of Bankman-Fried’s defense team, told the court in a letter Tuesday. 

“The memorandum distorts reality to support its precious ‘loss’ narrative and casts Sam as a depraved super-villain; it attributes to him dark and megalomaniacal motives that fly in the face of the record,” Mukasey said. 

In their 116-page sentencing memorandum, the prosecution urged presiding judge Lewis Kaplan to consider the “remarkably serious nature of the harm to thousands of victims.” Mukasey counters this claim, arguing that everyone will be made whole. 

Read more: US prosecutors seek decades in prison for Sam Bankman-Fried

“There were never losses. The money has always been available. Assets remain,” Mukasey said in Tuesday’s letter. 

“Each victim quoted in the government’s opposition will receive 100 cents on the dollar — plus interest,” Mukasey added, citing FTX’s bankruptcy plan.  

The defense has suggested Bankman-Fried serve 6 ½ years for his crimes, highlighting the 32-year-old’s vegan diet and unpretentious lifestyle. 

“Even as a billionaire, he drove the most basic car that was available,” Dr. George Lerner, Bankman-Fried’s psychiatrist, wrote in a letter to the court last month. “He wore ragged t-shirts and shorts. He cooked most of his own meals.”

Bankman-Fried, who faces a maximum sentence of 110 years, is scheduled to be sentenced in Manhattan on March 28.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template (1).jpg

Research

As AI supercharges surveillance, privacy becomes a prerequisite and the winning stack will combine confidentiality with selective disclosure. Zcash’s Tachyon, composable standards on Ethereum/Solana, and compliance-aware pools aim to make private rails the new norm.

article-image

Bain Capital Crypto and Haun Ventures co-led the round as demand grows for Bitcoin-denominated savings and annuities

by Blockworks /
article-image

NYSE owner’s investment values the prediction market at $8–9 billion, signaling Wall Street’s entry into event-based trading

by Blockworks /
article-image

Pineapple begins deploying its $100 million Injective Digital Asset Treasury, staking INJ to earn yield and fund onchain mortgage ambitions

by Blockworks /
article-image

Staking levels in the ether funds will depend on protocol unstaking queue times and anticipated redemption activity, firm says

article-image

ETF inflows, miner strength, and tightening supply drive Bitcoin past its prior peak amid renewed demand for scarce assets

by Blockworks /
article-image

The Guidestar team, led by Alex Nezlobin, will join Uniswap Labs to enhance automated market maker design and smart order routing

by Blockworks /