Sam Bankman-Fried sells bags of rice in prison

The founder and former CEO of the FTX exchange, Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), gave his first interview after the verdict was announced. This is reported by Cointelegraph with reference to the publication of William Cohen.

During a conversation with a journalist, Bankman-Fried revealed some details of the contents at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Center (MDC). He denies fraud and plans to appeal.

According to a media statement, while behind bars, the ex-CEO of the FTX crypto exchange began trading in commodities, namely bags of rice. According to reports, they are used as currency in the MDC.

Earlier it became known that Bankman-Fried also uses mackerel to exchange for various services. In particular, he paid with fish for a haircut before the court hearing in November 2023.

Bankman-Fried is known to eat beans and generally follow a vegetarian diet. He lost 25 pounds and, according to Cohen, looked “less fidgety and anxious, with no bags under his eyes.”

In his interview, SBF looked Cohen in the eyes almost the entire time. According to the prisoner, he “learned to pretend that everything was fine with him.”

Earlier, crypto blogger Tiffany Fong published a photo of Bankman-Fried taken at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Detention Center in December 2023. It shows the FTX founder standing next to other prisoners:

The source claims that Bankman-Fried is serving his sentence with 35 criminals. About half are reported to have been convicted of murder.

In a conversation with a journalist, SBF complained that there were only four televisions in the common cell. In addition, Bankman-Fried has a tablet at his disposal. Since the prisoners do not have access to the Internet, he uses it for various games.

SBF admitted that he is not worried about his safety. Meanwhile, he has trouble sleeping at night. Other inmates often wake up Bankman-Fried to exchange rice, the source said.

Cohen noted that SBF takes a number of medications to help him “think clearly.” Almost every day he talks to a lawyer for an hour.

The former FTX executive noted that his only mistake was negligence, which left the crypto exchange “vulnerable to mass withdrawals and insidious actions of competitors.” According to SBF, his continued management of FTX would help the platform avoid bankruptcy and become a thriving company worth $80 billion.

The prisoner has reportedly asked to remain at MDC until his appeal is heard in July 2024. However, there is a possibility that SBF will be transferred to one of the correctional facilities in California, the publication reports.

On March 28, 2024, FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He subsequently expressed remorse for the crimes and filed an appeal to challenge his conviction.

Meanwhile, according to experts, the co-founder of FTX, convicted of fraud, cannot count on parole and will serve more than 20 years.

Source: Cryptocurrency

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