The Bureau of Prisons has transferred former crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried out of a detention center in Brooklyn, New York, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
Bankman-Fried was moved from MDC-Brooklyn to Oklahoma, a transfer point, on his way to another federal lockup to continue serving his 25-year sentence for orchestrating one of the biggest financial frauds in U.S. history.
He had requested, however, to remain at MDC while he appeals his conviction.
Bankman-Fried transfer comes after he conducted an unauthorized videoconference interview with Tucker Carlson, which temporarily landed him in solitary confinement.
An additional source told ABC News the reason for the transfer has more to do with him filing his appeal rather than punishment for the Carlson interview.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried (C) departs Manhattan Federal Court after an arraignment hearing on March 30, 2023 in New York City. Federal prosecutors added a foreign bribery charge to the list of crimes that Bankman-Fried is already facing. The indictment accuses the FTX founder of directing $40 million in bribes to Chinese government officials to unfreeze assets related to his cryptocurrency business. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
The source said once Bankman-Fried’s appeal was filed, there was no longer a reason for him to remain at MDC, where he had asked to be so he could remain close to his attorneys.
The Bureau of Prisons wants him to serve his sentence at a federal prison rather than MDC, which is traditionally more of a way station for defendants awaiting trial.
In November 2022, Bankman-Fried’s global cryptocurrency exchange called FTX, which he co-founded and served as CEO, imploded, resulting in a $8 billion loss for its customers.
Bankman-Fried resigned amid the company’s fall and the new ownership filed for bankruptcy.
Prosecutors said he stole from FTX customers and used the money for political contributions, investments and personal gain.
In 2023, Bankman-Fried was convicted of seven counts of fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.
