Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyer thinks that the probation office has gone too far with the punishment they want to mete out to his client.
"The PSR recommends that the Court sentence Sam to 100 years in prison. That recommendation is grotesque," attorney Marc Mukasey wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed on Tuesday, referencing a pre-sentencing report by probation officers.
Mukasey argued that the probation office's recommendations "substantially overstates the seriousness of Sam's offense, which warrants a downward departure."
According to Mukasey, crypto exchange FTX's victims "are poised to recover — were always poised to recover — a hundred cents on the dollar."
"The Court should reject the PSR's barbaric proposal," Mukasey wrote.
Bankman-Fried, Mukasey said, should instead be sentenced to a prison term of five to six-and-a-half years. The lawyer said the sentencing should consider Bankman-Fried's "charitable works and demonstrated commitment to others."
"A sentence that returns Sam promptly to a productive role in society would be sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to comply with the purposes of sentencing," Mukasey wrote in the memorandum.
In November, Bankman-Fried was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy. The disgraced FTX founder faces up to 110 years in prison for the charges. His sentencing is set to take place on March 28.
Representatives for Bankman-Fried declined to comment when approached by BI.
February 28, 11:45 p.m. — This story has been updated with a response from a representative of Bankman-Fried.
