Attorneys representing Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of crypto exchange FTX, have suggested that a delay of his October 2 criminal trial may be necessary. The lawyers argued that additional time may be required to thoroughly review the evidence and prepare a defense for the upcoming trial.
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman-Fried’s lawyers said that they were still waiting for a “substantial portion” of evidence to be turned over to them and that additional charges had been filed against their client in late February.
They noted that, depending on the volume of the additional discovery and the timing of the productions, it may be necessary to request an adjournment of the trial.
Bankman-Fried was arrested in December following the failure of his crypto exchange in November. Prosecutors have since filed 12 charges against him for fraud and conspiracy.
Both the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have also filed civil lawsuits against Bankman-Fried for fraud, with trials in these cases postponed until after the criminal trial.
Christian Everdell, one of Bankman-Fried’s lawyers, wrote in the letter:
“Given the volume of discovery in this case, its complexity, the need for translation of foreign language documents, and the ongoing nature of the discovery, the defense is reviewing and preparing for trial on a daily basis.”
The letter stressed that the defense was not formally requesting a date change at the moment, but that it might be necessary in the future. The prosecution has yet to respond to the letter.
