Guilty or coerced? Ryan Salame’s last interviews before prison
Unpacking my conversation with FTX executive Ryan Salame, where we discussed his claims that he’s innocent of the charges for which he’s now serving seven and a half years in prison.
Activity tagged "Ryan Salame"
Issue 66 – Pretensions to relevance
FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried says he wants a do-over, and some more ill-received blockchain games suggest “GameFi” has an uncertain future.
Issue 65 – World Liberty Fiasco
Even the most pro-Trump crypto faithful think Trump’s new crypto scheme is a terrible idea. Also, an FTX crypto executive earns some benefit of the doubt, and a lawsuit accuses “Pharma Bro” Martin Shkreli of disrespecting the Wu-Tang Clan.
I get the sense that Judge Kaplan didn’t appreciate Ryan Salame’s recent take-backsies of his petition to have his conviction vacated or the investigation of his partner dismissed. “Notwithstanding defendant’s purported withdrawal without prejudice of his petition”, Kaplan intends to hear arguments on it.
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66631292/485/united-states-v-bankman-fried/
Ryan Salame has withdrawn his petition from a week ago, in which he claimed the government had reneged on a promise not to continue their campaign finance investigation into his partner, Michelle Bond.
Bond was indicted on August 22 on campaign finance charges in connection to her unsuccessful 2022 campaign for a House seat in New York. Salame says he's withdrawing his petition now that the indictment has come down "to allow the facts to be developed by Ms. Bond, and a ruling to be made, in her case".
US prosecutors not mincing words in their reply to Ryan Salame’s filing, which they describe as a “shameless and self-serving attempt to renege on his guilty plea in the aftermath of his sentencing.”
They claim that the only representations made to Salame involved conclusions of investigations into his conduct, and they say that in a later meeting they explicitly told Salame’s lawyers that a guilty plea by Salame would not halt any investigations or prosecutions of his partner, Michelle Bond.
They also say that Salame’s attorneys (also attorneys for Bond) were aware of continuing investigations into her as far back as April 15, well before Salame’s sentencing. “It was only after the Court imposed a sentence far above the sentence sought by Salame that Salame now seeks to vacate [his plea].”
Finally, they slam Salame for his post-sentencing behavior — particularly his extensive tweeting — “which has demonstrated a complete lack of remorse and utter contempt for the justice system”. They cite a few of his tweets:
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.605906/gov.uscourts.nysd.605906.474.0.pdf
Convicted FTX executive Ryan Salame has filed a document in his case alleging that the US government has reneged on their (verbal) promise not to pursue campaign finance charges against his partner, Michelle Bond.
Bond was previously under investigation for campaign finance issues pertaining to her 2022 Congressional campaign in New York’s District 1.
In June of this year, she launched a think tank pushing for friendly crypto and AI regulation, and a month ago they launched a program aiming to register pro-crypto voters in swing states.
Salame is requesting that either any indictment of Bond be dismissed with prejudice, or his conviction be vacated. He is due to report to prison to begin his 7 1/2 year sentence later this year.
FTX's Ryan Salame has returned to Twitter for the first time since FTX collapsed — hours after he was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison for his role in the FTX fraud and for his illegal campaign contributions 💀
Ryan Salame (former CEO of the Bahamian portion of FTX) has submitted his sentencing memo. He's asked for no more than 18 months imprisonment for his charges.
He was charged with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business and conspiracy to make unlawful political contributions and defraud the Federal Election Commission.
He argues that he was not substantially involved in the wrongdoing at FTX and instead lays much of the blame on others (mainly Bankman-Fried and Dan Friedberg).
He argues that his substance abuse (alcohol and unspecified drugs), charitable work, and family commitment should be considered in his sentencing.
Salame is the first of the four other high-level FTX employees to be sentenced. He pleaded guilty (as did all the others), but was the only one who did not have a cooperation agreement.
Salame has agreed to restitution (~$5.6 million) and forfeiture ($6 million, two properties, and a business) which he says "will leave him with no remaining assets".