In a recent development, Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the defunct crypto exchange, FTX, which collapsed in 2022. has challenged the court’s decision in his case. According to Bloomberg, his lawyers filed an appeal on Tuesday, claiming he was apprehended and judged in a rush. For context, FTX was once a leading crypto exchange that went bankrupt in November 2022 due to allegations that its owners had embezzled and misused customer funds. Following the collapse, investigation, and court sittings, the authorities sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison alongside other executives who received lesser punishments. He was also required to repay investors’ funds that were lost due to the crash. Bankman-Fried Files Appeal Bankman-Fried’s lawyers noted that due to the heat of the event, everyone, including the press, prosecutors, and legal authorities, was out to get him after the platform’s collapse. Hence, they are now pushing towards reversing his conviction and 25-year prison sentence.  “Sam Bankman-Fried was never presumed innocent. He was presumed guilty — before he was even charged,” they said.  Meanwhile, a Manhattan panel found SBF guilty of seven criminal counts, including fraud and conspiracy, at FTX. Additionally, a few other influential members of the crypto industry contributed to the investigation, identifying Bankman-Fried as the brain behind the company’s funds mismanagement. Moreover, there were three witnesses against Bankman-Fried, including FTX’s former engineering chief, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, his co-founder, and Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s girlfriend. They also pleaded guilty and got minimal prison sentences when compared to SBF’s 25-year conviction. Bankman-Fried Wants Another Judge Currently representing Bankman-Fried in the case is Alexandra Shapiro, a top criminal appeals lawyer. Just this year, Shapiro has excelled in a case involving three executives apprehended for white-collar crimes and holds other success stories.  As part of the appeal, SBF’s lawyers want the case to be handled by another judge, stating that the eighty-year-old Judge Lewis Kaplan, who sat on the case earlier, has “repeatedly put a thumb on the scale to help the government and thwart the defense.” The team also argued that at one point, Judge Kaplan pressured members of the jury into a quick verdict, offering them free dinner and car service to stay late on the first day of the case examination. They added that Kaplan “continually ridiculed Bankman-Fried, criticized his demeanor, and signaled his disbelief of Bankman-Fried’s testimony.” The post FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Challenges 25-Year Fraud Sentence in Appeal appeared first on CoinTab News.In a recent development, Sam Bankman-Fried, co-founder of the defunct crypto exchange, FTX, which collapsed in 2022. has challenged the court’s decision in his case. According to Bloomberg, his lawyers filed an appeal on Tuesday, claiming he was apprehended and judged in a rush. For context, FTX was once a leading crypto exchange that went bankrupt in November 2022 due to allegations that its owners had embezzled and misused customer funds. Following the collapse, investigation, and court sittings, the authorities sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison alongside other executives who received lesser punishments. He was also required to repay investors’ funds that were lost due to the crash. Bankman-Fried Files Appeal Bankman-Fried’s lawyers noted that due to the heat of the event, everyone, including the press, prosecutors, and legal authorities, was out to get him after the platform’s collapse. Hence, they are now pushing towards reversing his conviction and 25-year prison sentence.  “Sam Bankman-Fried was never presumed innocent. He was presumed guilty — before he was even charged,” they said.  Meanwhile, a Manhattan panel found SBF guilty of seven criminal counts, including fraud and conspiracy, at FTX. Additionally, a few other influential members of the crypto industry contributed to the investigation, identifying Bankman-Fried as the brain behind the company’s funds mismanagement. Moreover, there were three witnesses against Bankman-Fried, including FTX’s former engineering chief, Nishad Singh, Gary Wang, his co-founder, and Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s girlfriend. They also pleaded guilty and got minimal prison sentences when compared to SBF’s 25-year conviction. Bankman-Fried Wants Another Judge Currently representing Bankman-Fried in the case is Alexandra Shapiro, a top criminal appeals lawyer. Just this year, Shapiro has excelled in a case involving three executives apprehended for white-collar crimes and holds other success stories.  As part of the appeal, SBF’s lawyers want the case to be handled by another judge, stating that the eighty-year-old Judge Lewis Kaplan, who sat on the case earlier, has “repeatedly put a thumb on the scale to help the government and thwart the defense.” The team also argued that at one point, Judge Kaplan pressured members of the jury into a quick verdict, offering them free dinner and car service to stay late on the first day of the case examination. They added that Kaplan “continually ridiculed Bankman-Fried, criticized his demeanor, and signaled his disbelief of Bankman-Fried’s testimony.” The post FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Challenges 25-Year Fraud Sentence in Appeal appeared first on CoinTab News.