Judge Kaplan Denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s Bid for a New Trial, Calling Claims Baseless

Key Takeaways:

• Judge Lewis Kaplan denied Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) Rule 33 question connected April 28, 2026, calling the caller grounds claims “baseless.”
• The ruling closes the territory tribunal section for SBF, who inactive faces a unrecorded Second Circuit entreaty from his 25-year sentence.
• SBF’s judicial reassignment petition against Judge Kaplan remains pending, keeping 1 ineligible avenue unfastened for the defense.

SBF Denied New Trial

U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who presided implicit Bankman-Fried’s 2023 fraud proceedings and sentenced him to 25 years successful prison, issued the ruling successful New York, according to tribunal records reported by Bloomberg and Inner City Press. The justice described Bankman-Fried’s arguments arsenic “baseless connected aggregate independently capable levels.”

The motion, filed pro se astir Feb. 10, 2026, asked the tribunal to assistance a new trial nether Rule 33 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure. Bankman-Fried alleged that caller witnesser grounds from erstwhile FTX enforcement Ryan Salame and an idiosyncratic identified arsenic Daniel Chapsky undermined the government’s case.

Prosecutors pushed backmost hard successful March 2026, arguing the claims had nary merit. Judge Kaplan agreed, uncovering that the purported caller grounds would not apt nutrient an acquittal fixed the value of impervious presented astatine trial.

Before the ruling came down, Bankman-Fried sent a handwritten letter to the tribunal connected April 22, 2026, asking to retreat the question without prejudice. He gave 2 reasons: helium had not been fixed capable clip to respond to the government’s opposition, and helium did not judge helium would get a just proceeding from Judge Kaplan.

The justice denied that request, too, and ruled connected the question anyway.

Bankman-Fried’s missive besides addressed questions the tribunal had raised astir who wrote the filing. He denied improper ghostwriting but acknowledged that his mother, Barbara Fried, provided editorial suggestions and helped people the document. Judge Kaplan had scrutinized the submission due to the fact that Fried is not a licensed attorney.

Bankman-Fried was convicted successful November 2023 connected 7 counts of fraud and conspiracy tied to the collapse of FTX and his trading steadfast Alameda Research. Billions successful lawsuit funds went missing. He was sentenced successful March 2024.

His nonstop entreaty is pending earlier the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments held successful 2025. That lawsuit remains progressive and is abstracted from the Rule 33 question Judge Kaplan conscionable denied.

A petition to person Judge Kaplan removed from the lawsuit connected bias grounds is besides inactive pending. Bankman-Fried reserved the close to refile the caller proceedings question erstwhile that reassignment petition and his nonstop entreaty are resolved.

For now, his 25-year condemnation stands. No changes to his incarceration presumption person been ordered.

The latest ruling closes the territory tribunal doorway connected this peculiar ineligible effort, though Bankman-Fried retains options astatine the appellate level. How the Second Circuit handles his nonstop entreaty volition apt signifier what comes next.