US Judge Denies Request to Delay SBF Sentencing

Judge Lewis Kaplan denied a request from Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to reschedule his sentencing hearing to May 2024.

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s presentence interview with the U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services System looms large on Thursday, as the Judge overseeing his case denied a motion to delay his March 28 sentencing to May 2024.

In a Dec. 20 memo, Jude Lewis Kaplan denied an application filed by Bankman-Fried’s lawyers requesting a four to six-week adjournment of the sentencing hearing, saying that the defense needed additional time to collect materials required for the sentencing submission.

They also made the case that the government is yet to decide on whether it will proceed with trying Bankman-Fried on the additional charges it brought in a superseding indictment, in a hearing which is currently scheduled to begin on March 11. Those charges relate to bank fraud and allegations of bribing Chinese government officials.

Bankman-Fried’s lawyers argued that the sentencing process, including the presentence interview, should be ajourned until these counts are resolved.

In denying the request, Kaplan said that the sentencing date was fixed without objection from the defendant, and had already been extended once before during the filing of sentencing submissions.

“The defendant already has had over six weeks in which to prepare for the presentence interview, which shall take place tomorrow as scheduled,” noted Kaplan. 

On Nov. 7, a jury found Bankman-Fried guilty of all seven charges against him, including two counts of wire fraud, one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

At the time, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers noted they were “very disappointed with the result” and reiterated that the former FTX CEO maintains his innocence and plans to continue to fight the charges against him.