FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried was moved to the low-security Federal Correctional Institution Terminal Island in Los Angeles on April 18, 2025. Notably, this prison once housed several high-profile inmates, including cult leader Charles Manson, notorious crime boss Al Capone, and former Theranos COO Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who was convicted of fraud.
Bankman-Fried Moved from Victorville to Terminal Island
Before landing at the terminal Island in Los Angeles, Fried was held at FCI Victorville, a medium-security prison in San Bernardino County which is known for its tough conditions and political atmosphere. Just a month earlier, he was briefly held at the Federal Transfer Facility in Oklahoma City during his relocation process.
The prison shuffle comes shortly after Fried made headlines for giving an unauthorised Jailhouse interview to media figure Tucker Carlson, His high-profile case has him under the public eye for his role in the FTX collapse.
Fried’s Plan to Rebuild Image
After the dramatic collapse of FTX, Fried reportedly created a Google Doc outlining ways to rebuild his public image. One of the ideas included appearing on Tucker Carlson’s show (spelled “Tucker Carlsen” in his draft) and positioning himself as a Republican in opposition to the “woke agenda.”
Legal experts now believe that Fried’s surprising shift towards right-wing messaging could be a part of his calculated effort to secure a pardon from President Trump. By positioning himself as a Republican and aligning with conservative views, some believe that SBF is trying to gain favor with Trump, who has been known to issue pardons in high-profile cases.
He was convicted in November 2023 on multiple fraud charges for his role in the dramatic collapse of FTX. At his sentencing in March 2024, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan remarked that Fried knew his actions were wrong and criminal, but he still took the risk believing that he would not get caught. He is now serving a 25-year sentence and has been ordered to pay $11 billion for his role in one of the biggest crypto frauds in history.
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