• Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has reportedly attempted to influence witnesses in a case being investigated by the US government.
• In a recent court document, the U.S. prosecutors declared that SBF sent a Signal message to “Witness-1” on January 15th, asking to reconnect and “vet things with each other.”
• The attorneys of the Southern District of New York have requested the judge to restrict SBF’s access to encrypted messaging systems such as “Signal”, and also prohibit him from contacting former employees of FTX and Alameda Research.
Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, has reportedly attempted to influence witnesses in a case being investigated by the US government. In a recent court document, the U.S. prosecutors declared that SBF sent a Signal message to “Witness-1” on January 15th, asking to reconnect and “vet things with each other.” The prosecutors noted that this message was suggestive of an effort to influence the witness’s potential testimony, and so they requested the judge restrict SBF’s access to encrypted messaging systems such as “Signal”, and also prohibit him from contacting former employees of FTX and Alameda Research.
The court document went on to say that SBF has a history of using Signal for obstructive purposes, and the message he sent to the witness was consistent with that. It also noted that given that the defendant was aware that Witness-1 may have information that tends to implicate him, the request was “very troubling.”
In response to the prosecutors’ request, the judge has yet to issue a ruling, but the document does suggest that if the restrictions are granted, it may have a significant impact on SBF’s ability to communicate with potential witnesses. This would be an important step in the investigation, as it would help to ensure that the witnesses are not unduly influenced by the defendant. It is unclear at this point what the outcome of the case will be, but it is clear that the prosecutors are taking all necessary steps to ensure that the witnesses are not swayed in any way.