https://themessenger.com/business/sbf-thrown-in-jail-for-tampering-with-star-witness-in-upcoming-fraud-trial [p] The Messenger's logo Business. The Messenger's slogan * News * Politics * Opinion * Business * Entertainment * Coming soon: * Sports TRENDING NOW | 'They're Going to Shoot Someone:' Michigan Republicans Warn of Civil War at Pool Party Fundraiser for Fake Electors Bankman-Fried Sent to Jail After Leaking Writings of Ex-Lover, Now a Star Witness Against Him The ruling came after SBF provided personal diary entries of his ex-girlfriend and former CEO of Alameda Research to the New York Times Published |Updated Christian Berthelsen A Facebook icon representing an external link to share the article on Facebook. A Twitter icon representing an external link to share the article on Twitter. An Email icon that opens an email with the article link. A link icon that copies the article url to clipboard. A Linkedin icon representing an external link to share the article on Linkedin. Icon representing additional share options, a plus symbol when options are closed and a horizontal line when options are open JWPlayer FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is being thrown in jail pending his upcoming trial on fraud charges after a federal judge concluded Friday his airing of private musings from a key prosecution cooperator amounted to witness intimidation and jury tampering. "Witness tampering and obstruction poses a danger to community and risk of such activities would support pretrial detention," U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said at the bail violation hearing. While Bankman-Fried had a First Amendment right to proclaim his innocence, the judge said, free speech protections do not cover communications intended to intimidate or tamper with witnesses, a felony. Sam Bankman-Fried, Caroline EllisonSam Bankman-Fried, Caroline Ellison Sam Bankman-Fried is going back to jail after leaking former girlfriend Caroline Ellison's personal diary pages to the New York Times.Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images; Caroline Ellison/Twitter Bankman-Fried was immediately taken into custody in the courtroom by U.S. marshals following the ruling. He removed his shoelaces, tie and jacket and handed them to his defense lawyer before being escorted from the courtroom. His lawyers asked the judge to suspend the ruling pending appeal, but their request was denied. They declined to comment as they left court. The one-time Crypto King, Bankman-Fried had previously been allowed to remain free pending trial, confined to home detention at his parents' house in Palo Alto, California on $250 million bond. The trial is scheduled to begin in October and expected to last at least a month. The personal notes by Caroline Ellison, his ex-girlfriend and the chief executive of Alameda Research, a hedge fund affiliated with FTX that traded on the crypto exchange, were written in the months before it collapsed last fall. They described how her fizzled romantic relationship with Bankman-Fried left her unhappy and disengaged from her job. They were featured in an article in July in the New York Times. Kaplan said he found the writings "extremely personal and intimate" and that they "portrayed Ms. Ellison in an unfavorable light." By leaking them, he concluded, Bankman-Fried "intended at least in part to harass Ellison and influence her testimony." Read More * Sam Bankman-Fried Could Be Sent Back to Jail After Feds Accuse Him of Trying to Intimidate Ex-Lover * Sam Bankman-Fried Faces Federal Judge Over Allegations He Leaked His Ex-Girlfriend's Letters * DOJ Agrees to Only Try Sam Bankman-Fried on Original Charges - For Now * Ex-Crypto King Sam Bankman-Fried Loses Bid to Dismiss Criminal Charges in FTX Collapse * Sam Bankman-Fried gave millions to effective altruism. What happens now that the money is gone? * Judge Skeptical of Sam Bankman-Fried Request to Dismiss Some Charges in FTX Collapse Ellison pleaded guilty in December to charges stemming from her role in FTX's collapse. She has agreed to testify against Bankman-Fried during his trial in a bid for a more lenient sentence, and prosecutors have said in court filings that she is an important witness for their case. Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda ResearchCaroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research Caroline Ellison, former CEO of Alameda Research and the star witness at the U.S. trial against Sam Bankman-Fried.Caroline Ellison/Twitter/ X Lawyers for Bankman-Fried did not deny that he shared the writings with the Times, but maintain he had a right to do so and that the article was already in progress and informed by other sources. Mark Cohen, Bankman-Fried's attorney, said during the hearing that prosecutors lacked evidence of intent to intimidate Ellison, and said their claim was based on a "thin record with a lot of spin." After the writings appeared in the Times, Kaplan signed a gag order barring Bankman-Fried from speaking to the news media. But prosecutors sought the additional step of having Bankman-Fried jailed pending his trial, saying his sharing of Ellison's musings amounted to intimidating a witness and tampering with the jury pool. Prosecutor Danielle Sassoon said his actions amounted to a "deliberate evasion of his bail conditions." In court filings, prosecutors have noted Bankman-Fried was already warned by the judge for contacting a different prosecution witness on an encrypted messaging service early in the case and saying he hoped they could have a "constructive relationship." During the hearing, Kaplan also concluded that the earlier contact amounted to an attempt to influence a witness. FTX imploded amid disclosures that Alameda had borrowed $10 billion in customer funds on deposit at FTX and used the money to back high-risk trading positions that ultimately turned against it. FTX filed for bankruptcy in November and Bankman-Fried resigned as chief executive. Prosecutors accuse Bankman-Fried, 31, of cheating investors and stealing deposits from customers of FTX, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges before its collapse in November. He is accused of squandering the money backing the risky trades placed by Alameda, as well as on political contributions and a lavish lifestyle. Bankman-Fried has been in prolific contact with journalists covering the collapse of FTX and his criminal case, according to court filings. Over a period of serval months, he logged more than 1,000 calls with reporters, and has also been in frequent contact with the author Michael Lewis, who is writing a book about the matter. It was not immediately clear where Bankman-Fried would be held in custody pending trial. Prosecutors said they had looked into arrangements with the Putnam County jail in upstate New York where he would have better access to trial preparation materials via computer, but Judge Kaplan said he believed there would be similar access at the federal jail in Brooklyn. The issue was not resolved during the hearing. Kaplan noted the Brooklyn lock-up is "not on anybody's list of five-star facilities." 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