Alleged crypto crook Sam Bankman-Fried asks judge to allow 'close friends' to visit

While he's out on bond, confined to his parents' Palo Alto, California home.

July 13, 2023, 7:05 PM

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, asked the judge on Thursday overseeing his criminal prosecution to allow certain people to visit his parents’ house, where he’s confined while out on bail, without the need for a security guard to be present.

Defense attorneys described these people as “close friends and colleagues of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s parents and household help that regularly visit the house” who should be exempt from the security procedures otherwise required by the terms of Bankman-Fried’s bail.

“These individuals are aware of and will abide by Mr. Bankman-Fried’s bail conditions, including the prohibition on sharing 'Prohibited Electronic Devices' with Mr. Bankman-Fried,” defense attorneys wrote, adding that prosecutors consent to the request.

Bankman-Fried, 31, has been charged with multiple counts of fraud and conspiracy that accuse him of misappropriating billions of dollars in FTX customer and investor money. He has pleaded not guilty and was released on a $250 million bond, where he remains at his parents' house in Palo Alto, California.

His bail conditions require certain security measures to be followed when any visitors come to the house, including a security guard to screen the visitors for any electronic devices.

The defense asked that the names of the friends SBF wants to host be kept secret.