Federal prosecutors told a judge that a letter purportedly sent by Sam Bankman-Fried from prison was actually sent via FedEx from another location, suggesting someone from the outside posed as him.
The filing adds an unusual wrinkle to Bankman-Fried’s post-conviction fight. The FTX founder, sentenced to 25 years in prison for fraud and conspiracy, is continuing a retrial from Terminal Island Federal Correctional Institution in San Pedro, California.
Prosecutors say the suspect’s letter was entered into the registry on March 16 but mailed from Palo Alto or Menlo Park, falsely labeling the prison as a public facility and bearing a typed “/s/” instead of a real signature.
Bureau of Prisons regulations prohibit inmates from sending mail through private carriers like FedEx, prosecutors noted.
Overall, prosecutors said these discrepancies provide “reason to doubt” that the letter was sent by Bankman-Fried.
The government has not accused the defendant or his associates of fabricating the document, but this filing demonstrates a willingness to challenge the reliability of documents submitted as part of its effort to obtain a new trial.
Bankman-Fried has repeatedly claimed he did not receive a fair trial and pointed to what he claims is new evidence, including the subsequent recovery of customer funds through FTX’s bankruptcy process.
The appeals judges expressed skepticism about that argument, emphasizing that the case turned on how client funds were used and represented at the time, not whether creditors were later repaid in full.
