Federal prosecutors told a judge that a letter supposedly sent by Sam Bankman-Fried from prison was actually sent via FedEx from somewhere else, suggesting someone outside impersonated him.
The filing adds an unusual aspect to Bankman-Fried’s struggle following her conviction. The FTX founder, sentenced to 25 years for fraud and conspiracy, has been conducting a new trial from the Terminal Island Federal Correctional Institution in San Pedro, California.
Prosecutors say the suspicious letter was registered on March 16 but sent from Palo Alto or Menlo Park, mislabeled the prison as a state facility and carried a written “/s/” instead of an actual signature.
Bureau of Prisons regulations prohibit inmates from sending mail through private companies such as FedEx, prosecutors noted.
Taken together, prosecutors said these discrepancies provide “reason to doubt” that the letter was sent by Bankman-Fried.
The government did not accuse the defendant or his associates of fabricating the document, but the filing indicates a willingness to question the reliability of the materials presented as part of its effort to secure a new trial.
Bankman-Fried has repeatedly argued that he did not receive a fair trial and has pointed to what he claims is new evidence, including the subsequent recovery of client funds through FTX’s bankruptcy process.
Appeal judges have been skeptical of that argument, emphasizing that the case turned on how client funds were used and represented at the time, not whether creditors were later compensated.
