Months after FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was discovered responsible on seven federal fraud and conspiracy fees associated to the collapsed trade, the primary photograph of the disgraced crypto mogul in jail has reportedly emerged.
Shared on Twitter (aka X) by Tiffany Fong, a content material creator who befriended Bankman-Fried and interviewed him a number of occasions after his downfall, the alleged jail photograph exhibits the one-time crypto icon alongside different prisoners, all however one among whom have their face censored to guard their privateness.
Within the photograph, which Fong says was taken on December 17 final yr at Metropolitan Detention Middle (MDC) Brooklyn, Bankman-Fried strikes a well-known look with a t-shirt, sweat shorts, and sneakers—however he seems to be skinnier than in earlier, pre-prison images. He additionally has a beard, versus his typical clean-shaven look.
Fong obtained the photograph from a just lately freed inmate whom she refers to as “G Lock,” who’s the one different particular person within the photograph whose face isn’t obscured. She shared a brief clip from a video interview with the previous jail affiliate of Bankman-Fried, who calls Sam his “son” and spoke about his habits and private repairs habits behind bars.
Thanks to my new good friend ex blood gang member, G Lock!!pic.twitter.com/JjYbezpsl7
— Tiffany Fong (@TiffanyFong_) February 20, 2024
Within the clip, G Lock says that Bankman-Fried seems to be “scruffier than a motherfucker,” and says that the fallen crypto founder had not been showering fairly often on the time. G Lock, described as a former member of the Blood gang, added that Bankman-Fried informed him that he needed to strive rising out a beard as a result of it’s one thing he hadn’t achieved earlier than.
Bankman-Fried was convicted in November for a litany of crimes, together with taking billions of {dollars} value of buyer funds from FTX to prop up sister funding agency Alameda Analysis through the bear market run that preceded FTX’s collapse.
Even so, G Lock believes that Bankman-Fried is in the end a “good man”—although G Lock claims that he’s “bizarre as shit” and “may be unusual”—and calls out for President Joe Biden to pardon the FTX co-founder amid his re-election marketing campaign this yr.
“Free Sam Bankman,” G Lock says. “Joe Biden, you recognize what’s up. Earlier than you permit, pardon my son… you recognize what to do.”
Fong mentioned that she plans to publish the complete video interview with G Lock within the coming days through her YouTube channel and that it’s going to dig deeper into Bankman-Fried’s alleged habits behind bars and the way different inmates are treating him.
The lengthy FTX chapter saga could in the end resolve with a semi-happy ending for patrons, as legal professionals for the agency mentioned in late January that “prospects and common unsecured collectors with allowed claims will finally be paid in full,” in accordance with its present plan.
Nevertheless, that’s topic to vary. Some prospects are sad with the present plan, which relies on the worth of their crypto property as of November 2022, when FTX collapsed. That’s as a result of the crypto market has recovered considerably since; the worth of Bitcoin, for instance, has surged from about $17,000 then to over $51,000 immediately.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.