Prosecutors Demand Restrictions on Former FTX CEO’s Electronic Devices After VPN Use for Football Streaming
Prosecutors in the financial fraud case against former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) are trying to persuade the judge to restrict his use of electronic devices. It was revealed that SBF used a virtual private network (VPN) to watch the Super Bowl through a foreign subscription service he purchased prior to his arrest. However, prosecutors are skeptical, arguing that VPNs are commonly used to access international crypto exchanges that are blocked in the United States.
Prosecutors raise concerns about VPN use by former FTX CEO, SBF attorneys argue VPN use is harmless
Judge Lewis Kaplan is considering whether disgraced FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF) should be allowed to use electronic devices and the internet. “There is a solution, but it’s not one that anyone has suggested yet,” Kaplan told the court. Judge is considering changing SBF’s bail terms after prosecutors complained about his use of a VPN. US Attorney for the Department of Justice (DOJ) Damian Williams said the government learned that SBF used a VPN to access the internet on January 29 and February 12, 2023.
Williams found that VPNs have legitimate purposes, but the complaint also alleges that VPNs are commonly used to access international crypto exchanges. “Some people use VPNs to hide the fact that they are accessing international cryptocurrency exchanges that use IPs to block US users,” the government’s complaint underscored. However, SBF attorney Mark Cohen, who represented Ghislaine Maxwell during her sex trafficking trial, said SBF used the VPN to watch football.
“Our client used the VPN to access an international NFL Game Pass subscription that he previously purchased while living in the Bahamas so he could watch NFL playoff games,” explained SBF attorneys Christian Everdell and Mark Cohen to the judge. “On January 29, 2023, he watched the AFC and NFC championship games and on February 12, the Super Bowl. This use of a VPN does not imply any of the concerns raised by the government in their letter.”
Prosecutors have previously complained that SBF attempted to communicate with former employees of Alameda Research and FTX. The court has banned SBF from using end-to-end encrypted messaging services like Signal. Everdell and Cohen have stated that SBF will not use a VPN during this time until the defense team is willing to accept a reasonable bail condition that resolves any government or court concerns about using a VPN.
What are your thoughts on the use of VPNs in financial fraud cases? Should their use be restricted during bail? Share your thoughts in the comments.
photo credit: Shutterstock, Pixabay, WikiCommons
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Source: Crypto News Deutsch
