Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking a new trial, claiming newly surfaced evidence shows prosecutors pressured key witnesses during his FTX fraud case. In a fresh court filing, the former exchange chief argues the alleged witness intimidation undermined his conviction and challenges the government’s portrayal of FTX as insolvent.
A renewed bid to overturn his conviction
In a post from prison, Bankman-Fried said he has uncovered evidence that prosecutors pressured potential witnesses to stay silent or alter their testimony. He argued that this conduct warrants throwing out his conviction and granting a new trial.
His legal team filed a motion under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 33, pointing to a declaration from a former FTX employee and citing earlier reporting that Bankman-Fried is pursuing previously unavailable testimony to challenge the case against him.
The filing is the latest attempt to undo his conviction and 25-year prison sentence following the collapse of FTX and its affiliated entities. Bankman-Fried was convicted on seven counts related to the misuse of customer funds, with prosecutors saying money was diverted to Alameda Research to cover trading losses, leading to an $8.9 billion shortfall.
Former FTX employee claims pressure not to testify
Central to the motion is a declaration from Daniel Chapsky, identified as FTX’s former head of data science. Chapsky said he was advised by his attorneys not to testify due to concerns about media scrutiny and potential retaliation from prosecutors.
He also claimed other former employees received similar warnings, leading him to decline participation in the trial. Chapsky said he feared for his own safety and that of people around him if he spoke publicly.
According to the filing, Chapsky believes his testimony would have challenged how prosecutors presented FTX’s financial condition and provided what he described as more accurate information to the jury.
Dispute over FTX’s financial condition resurfaces
The motion argues that Chapsky’s testimony would have contradicted the prosecution’s claim that FTX was insolvent before its November 2022 bankruptcy filing. The declaration asserts that FTX and Alameda Research were solvent and that assets exceeded liabilities at the time.
Bankman-Fried has previously made similar claims, including in a 2025 interview where he said a potential external investment could have saved the company after he handed control to restructuring specialist John J. Ray III. He has described that handover as his “biggest mistake.”
The new filing revives that narrative, positioning FTX’s collapse and the events leading to his conviction as disputed facts that should be reconsidered in court.