Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), founder of failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX, was found guilty of all seven charges he faced. In conversation with Bloomberg next Tuesday (12) the lawyer David Mills stated that SBF was the worst customer he ever had.
Mills, who specializes in white-collar crime, was chosen by Sam Bankman-Fried’s family to defend him. The attorney accepted the mission as pro bono work and charged nothing because he was friends with Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman, Sam’s parents.
Mills, however, expressed regret for taking the case. Not because of the defeat, as it would be difficult to free SBF from prison, but because of the lack of cooperation from the former billionaire.
“I will no longer become emotionally involved in a case like this on such a deeply personal level.”Mills told Bloomberg. “I’m just not going to do it.”
Lawyer fears that SBF’s parents, who are his friends, will blame him
Although Barbara Fried and Joseph Bankman are accused of embezzling millions from FTX for their own benefit, Sam Bankman-Fried’s attorney elsewhere insists that the former billionaire’s parents believe in their son’s innocence. Going forward, David Mills fears that the blame for the verdict may have somehow fallen on him.
“If you believe in your child’s complete innocence, I worry that you have someone to blame, and I’m a likely candidate.”Mills continued, believing SBF’s parents would blame him for the verdict that sent their son to prison.
“My sadness for them is extreme and I don’t know if our friendship will survive this.”
In response, Barbada and Joseph showed no ill will toward Mills. On the contrary, they praised his work and took notice “He has also been an incredibly steadfast friend and we will be grateful to him for always being with us through difficult times.”.
Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t help himself, his lawyer says
In the photo published by Bloomberg, David Mills appears to be wearing a cap with the number 3,419. That’s how many people he got out of jail, but Sam Bankman-Fried didn’t reach that amount.
While it is difficult to believe that Mills could break SBF out of jail because his crimes were obvious, the attorney emphasized that FTX’s founder and former CEO was uncooperative, making it impossible to win the case.
“He has to top the list as the worst person I have ever seen questioned.”
During the trial, Bankman-Fried ignored his right to remain silent and ignored his attorney’s advice as he confessed to his crimes. Elsewhere, it appears the former billionaire also tried to drag his former colleagues to jail with him.
His lawyer then emphasizes that the other defendants presented the same story, blaming SBF, but he presented a different version of what happened.
“I thought it was almost impossible to win a case when three or four founders said you did it. Even if everyone is lying, it is very, very difficult to win a case like this.”said Mills.
“You have five people saying one thing, one person saying another. Well, you have no chance…zero.”
Finally, Sam Bankman-Fried faces a maximum prison sentence of 110 years. His trial is scheduled for March 24, 2024. Currently, the former billionaire is already imprisoned at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where he trades fish in exchange for other goods and services.
Source: Live Coins
Barry Siefert is an accomplished journalist and author at The Nation View. He is known for his expertise in the field of cryptocurrency, and has written extensively on the topic. With a background in finance and economics, Barry has a deep understanding of the underlying technology and market forces that drive the crypto industry.
