Sam Bankman-Fried’s lawyers said Feb. 21 that the defense has acquiesced to the court’s request to hire an independent technical expert to consult on bail conditions and is currently looking for a suitable candidate, according to a court filing.
The move comes after the FTX founder breached his bail conditions by using encrypted messaging apps and a VPN during January and February. Prosecutors filed a written complaint on the matter, while the defense argued that VPN usage was benign.
The court questioned the defense why SBF should be released into a “garden of electronics” and requested that the defense should hire an independent technical expert to consult on the case.
Defense lawyers agreed that SBF would not access any encrypted applications or services in the interim.
Private citizens urge judge to revoke bail
Meanwhile, multiple private citizens have been writing to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan and urging that SBF should be arrested and not allowed to await his trial in his parents’ house.
The citizens urged the Kaplan to review and revoke his decision to grant SBF bail.
A detective from New Haven, Thomas Morrissey, wrote that the court’s treatment of SBF is wildly different from other arrestees facing similar charges in his experience. He argued that SBF’s scheme was “devious” and created countless victims. Morrissey added that based on the amount of evidence and the billions stolen SBF does not “deserve the court’s pity.”
Another citizen wrote that she does not understand why SBF is out on bail and how the court can ascertain that he is not deleting his communication via encrypted services. She argued that people are worried about SBF’s actions and the court should revoke his jail. She wrote:
“Please jail him. Money does talk.”
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