Sam Bankman-Fried Cites Prison Transfer in Extension Request
On Saturday, March 21, 2026, The Crypto Times reported that Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) has requested additional time from a Manhattan federal court to respond to his Rule 33 new-trial bid. This request follows Judge Lewis Kaplan’s rejection of an extension sought by SBF’s mother, Barbara Fried. SBF’s letter, docketed on March 19, cites his impending transfer from FCI Terminal Island as the reason for needing more time.
The issue of extending the deadline escalated after Barbara Fried’s attempt to seek more time for her son was denied. Judge Kaplan noted that Fried is not a member of the court’s bar, has not appeared in the case, and cannot use a power of attorney to seek relief on SBF’s behalf. The judge also stated the court does not accept phone calls from litigants or their family members.
Despite this, Judge Kaplan extended the reply deadline to March 23, allowing SBF or his legal team the opportunity to formally request more time. Barbara Fried had previously requested an extension to April 1, citing her son’s limited access to word processing, legal files, and the expected prison transfer.
The concern over SBF’s transfer aligns with a broader initiative by the Bureau of Prisons, as FCI Terminal Island is reportedly closing due to deteriorating infrastructure, including failing concrete in underground tunnels linked to the prison’s heating system. The facility, housing nearly 1,000 inmates, including Bankman-Fried, is expected to undergo transfers over several weeks.
The U.S. government filed its opposition to Bankman-Fried’s Rule 33 motion on March 11, arguing that his request for a new trial should be denied. Prosecutors contend that the witnesses and arguments SBF relies on were either known before the trial, legally irrelevant, or unlikely to alter the jury’s verdict. They asserted that SBF’s motion “fails at every level” and argued that post-bankruptcy recoveries by FTX customers do not negate the fraud findings that led to his conviction.
Prosecutors added that the jury had already considered and rejected Bankman-Fried’s solvency-related arguments and that proposed testimony from figures like Daniel Chapsky and Ryan Salame did not qualify as newly discovered evidence under Rule 33. The government also dismissed claims that witness decisions not to testify resulted from improper prosecutorial pressure.
Bankman-Fried is pursuing an appeal and a Rule 33 motion for a new trial following his 2023 conviction in the FTX fraud case.
Source: The Crypto Times
