The use of a flip phone or another non-smartphone is one of several restrictions that prosecutors and Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorneys are jointly requesting the judge to approve.
The lawyers are addressing concerns raised by Judge Lewis Kaplan, who mentioned he could “conceivably” revoke Bankman-Fried’s bail due to a “threat” of witness tampering.
The crypto entrepreneur contacted the former general counsel of FTX and used a virtual private network (VPN) shortly after the judge expressed a desire to limit the use of encrypted devices.
Former FTX chief executive Samuel Bankman-Fried was seen leaving Manhattan Federal Court following his bail conditions hearing in New York City on February 9, 2023.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been indicted on new criminal charges, including campaign finance violations.
Bankman-Fried faces multiple counts of conspiracy and fraud, with prosecutors alleging it to be one of the largest financial frauds in US history.
He has pleaded not guilty to charges of misusing customer funds in FTX to support the related hedge fund Alameda Research, make venture investments, and donate to political campaigns to influence policy.
Bankman-Fried was released on a $250 million bond and is confined to his parents’ home in Palo Alto, California. His parents are Stanford University law professors.
Under the proposal, Bankman-Fried’s new laptop will “be configured so that he is only able to log on to the internet through the use of specified VPNs, and that the VPNs only permit the defendant to access websites that have been whitelisted through the VPNs.”
Among the websites permitted are those necessary for his defense preparation, including Zoom, Microsoft Office, Python, and Adobe Acrobat. Monitoring tools will be installed on his laptop, and he will be prohibited from purchasing electronic devices.
Bankman-Fried will also be restricted from general internet browsing, with access limited to court-approved websites.
The lawyers have suggested several sites for his defense preparation, including YouTube, read-only websites displaying crypto prices, and research websites.
Bankman-Fried has also requested access to certain personal use sites, such as news sites, Netflix, Spotify, Uber Eats, Amazon, and sports websites.
The judge had previously expressed concerns about Bankman-Fried’s access to his parents’ computers, cell phones, and internet.
The attorneys proposed that his parents sign affidavits affirming they won’t allow their son to use their devices, which will be password protected. Additionally, each device would have software installed to photograph or video the user.
