SBF’s defense team recently filed a sentencing memorandum, advocating for a maximum sentence of 6.5 years. They included letters of recommendation from SBF’s parents, former FTX employees, and others. SBF’s sentencing is set for March 28th. Meanwhile, the DOJ presents a victim impact card to present SBF as a real terror in the finance market. On the contrary SBF lawyers ask for leniency, what next?
FTX Creditor’s Statement Reveals Real Hardships
Soon the court will decide the fate of SBF but before that, the DOJ has filed several victim statements from individuals affected by the bankruptcy of FTX, ahead of the sentencing of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of FTX, scheduled for the next week. These statements are of great importance as they represent creditors from various parts of the world and provide detailed accounts of the financial struggles they faced due to the collapse of FTX.
Many respondents shared stories of financial instability, citing unemployment and dependency on the funds they had stored within the FTX platform. Some expressed that their trust in FTX was influenced by Bankman-Fried’s assurances or the belief that U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges were regulated and considered safe, despite FTX’s main entity being headquartered in The Bahamas.
Some people weren’t too happy with how they were compensated during the FTX bankruptcy. They felt it was unfair because they were only reimbursed based on what their assets were worth in November 2022, not at today’s cryptocurrency prices. And let’s face it, Bitcoin went from around $16,500 to $65,000 during that time. So, they felt like they missed out on a big chunk of potential money.
However, Some victims’ details were private in publicly available documents, but corporate victim statements remained visible. The DOJ noted that some victim impact statements followed a template, with individuals highlighting the loss in value while waiting for their funds. It’s a stark reminder of the real impact of these situations on people’s lives beyond just numbers and legal proceedings.
Lawyers fight over SBF’s jail term
The victim impact statements match the Sentencing Memorandum from the DOJ, which says that Bankman-Fried should spend 40 to 50 years in prison based on the gravity of his crime. However, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers suggested a much shorter sentence of 5 to 6.5 years, but the DOJ thinks that’s not enough. They don’t want a life sentence, though, as they consider it too much given Bankman-Fried’s age. Moreover, it sets the stage for a pivotal moment in the legal proceedings, where the judge must weigh these arguments before deciding.
