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- Sam Bankman-Fried’s family and friends wrote to the judge requesting leniency.
- Bankman-Fried’s mother, Barbara, explains her son’s ASD conditions and the consequences the imprisonment could bring on him.
- George Lerner, his psychiatrist, reinforces Barbara’s words, asserting that Bankman-Fried was his patient.
In a surprising turn of events, more than two dozen letters were filed for the judge’s leniency in FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s pending prison sentence. Reportedly, Bankman-Fried’s family and friends pleaded with the court to alleviate his punishment, considering his psychiatric conditions and the further consequences of confinement.
Previously, following the fall of FTX, the founder was found guilty of seven criminal charges, including fraud and conspiracy. Reports revealed that he could face imprisonment of up to 115 years. However, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers recently requested US District Judge Lewis Kaplan to punish him for not more than 6.5 years, considering his charitable deeds.
Adding more content to the lawyers’ requests, the defendant’s parents and other close acquaintances wrote to the court the critical mental condition of Bankman-Fried. His mother, Stanford Law Professor Barbara Fried, described his mannerisms associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
According to Barbara’s letter, Bankman-Fried was uncomfortable communicating with someone looking into their eyes. In addition, he was bad at responding normally and “uncomfortable with outward show of emotions.”
“Miscommunication in that environment is dangerous, and Sam’s traits greatly elevate the likelihood of its occurring. Putting him in solitary confinement to protect him from others is no solution. It is just a more certain form of murder, and in many ways a crueler one, slowly destroying his soul rather than his body,” Barbara added.
Reinforcing her words, George Lerner, Bankman-Fried’s psychiatrist, asserted that his patient hasn’t been motivated by greed, but his psychiatric conditions “led others to misinterpret his behavior and motivations.” The doctor added, “Sam is on the autism spectrum, a condition that can interfere with some everyday functions.”
Bankman-Fried’s father, Stanford Law Professor Joseph Bankman, and his brother, Gabriel, have also joined others to talk for the defendant. They asserted that Bankman-Fried was selfless but socially awkward. They added that imprisonment and isolation from the external would harm him severely, both physically and mentally.
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