Sam Bankman-Fried is now in an Oklahoma prison, pending possible transfer to California despite a judge’s request.
Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, has been moved to the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons records. This development indicates that authorities might still relocate him to a California prison.
As of May 23, Sam Bankman-Fried is no longer in New York or California, where his family resides. Instead, he is now held at the Oklahoma facility. This center typically holds inmates for short periods as they transfer between prisons, as noted by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General.
Recent reports suggested that Bankman-Fried would be transferred from the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn to the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Mendota, California. This transfer occurred despite Judge Lewis Kaplan’s recommendation to keep him at MDC Brooklyn. The judge’s request aimed to ensure Bankman-Fried had access to his appellate counsel after his bail was revoked in August 2023.
Legal and Transfer Background
In November 2023, a jury convicted Bankman-Fried on seven felony counts. By March 2024, Judge Kaplan sentenced him to 25 years in prison. During the sentencing hearing, Bankman-Fried requested to remain at MDC Brooklyn to maintain easy access to his appellate lawyers. Judge Kaplan supported this request, filing a letter on May 22 to advocate for his stay in New York until the appeal process concluded.
However, the authorities have decided otherwise, moving Bankman-Fried to Oklahoma instead. The exact duration of his stay at this facility remains unknown. If transferred to FCI Mendota, Bankman-Fried would be closer to his parents’ home in the San Francisco Bay Area. FCI Mendota, part of the federal prison system, aligns with the Bureau of Prisons’ goals of placing inmates near their families when possible.
The Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, located near Will Rogers World Airport, houses 1,414 inmates. This move might signal an impending transfer to a permanent facility in California. Bankman-Fried’s current status marks a significant step in the legal journey following the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research.
Bankman-Fried stands as the only individual connected to the FTX downfall to plead not guilty and face conviction. In contrast, other former FTX and Alameda executives, including Ryan Salame, Caroline Ellison, Gary Wang, and Nishad Singh, admitted guilt and struck deals with prosecutors. Salame’s sentencing is set for May 28.