The Sam Bankman-Fried saga continues, and the former FTX CEO could spend 50 years behind bars. However, SBF claims that such a high sentence paints him as a depraved supervillain. His lawyers protest that “squashing Sam like this is unnecessary.” Does SBF have any chance of seeing freedom again in their lifetime?
Supervillain Bankman-Fried? SBF says the fine is too high
SBF claims that the punishment does not fit his crime. The punishment is meant to portray him as a depraved supervillain. It is difficult to find a criminal who agrees with the court's verdict, but in the case of Sam Bankman-Fried, the case is much more complex – at least that's what his lawyers say. On Friday, March 15, U.S. prosecutors filed additional documents along with a sentencing memorandum that proposed 40 to 50 years in prison for the former cryptocurrency billionaire.
SBF lawyers quickly responded by pointing out that “squashing Sam in this way is unnecessary” and that the proposed 50-year sentence evokes a “medieval” perception of punishment and does not accurately reflect the gravity of his crime. Marc Mukasey and Torrey Young wrote to Judge Lewis Kaplan that:
With obvious hostility, Memorandum distorts reality to support his beloved narrative of loss and portray Sam as a depraved supervillain. We have yet to find a federal defendant convicted of a non-violent crime who served a 40- to 50-year sentence and was released.
When will SBF be released?
Although the SBF claims (as well as his lawyers) that a 50-year prison sentence is definitely too high for his crimes, it is worth mentioning the 115-year sentence behind bars that was initially considered by the court. However, if the proposed 50-year prison sentence for SBF comes into force, the former cryptocurrency billionaire will remain in prison until 2074. Bankman himself will then be 82 years old and will be eligible for release.
Taking into account the living conditions in prison, it is rather unlikely that SBF will be released after serving his sentence. Lawyers are demanding a drastic reduction in the penalty, but given the gravity of the “crypto golden child's” offenses, their attempts will be useless.
