Sam Bankman-Fried Appeals Supreme Court to Overturn Guilty Verdict

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has requested the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his fraud conviction. This move comes about three months after a federal appeals court upheld his guilty verdict in June, and is seen as his last legal recourse. Bankman-Fried was convicted in 2023 for misappropriating billions of dollars in customer funds to cover losses at Alameda Research and for real estate investments and political donations. He received a 25-year prison sentence and an order to forfeit approximately $11 billion from the Southern District of New York in March 2024. He claimed his rights were violated during the appeals process, but the Second Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed this, stating that the government's evidence was compelling. Bankman-Fried's legal team argued that the presentation of evidence was unfairly restricted during the trial, but the appeals court found the evidence proving his guilt to be overwhelming. Currently, the only legal remedy left for Bankman-Fried is an appeal to the Supreme Court, and it remains uncertain whether the Court will hear the case. Additionally, he is reported to have submitted a request for a pardon from President Donald Trump.