FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried Ordered to Court Over VPN Use

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been asked to appear in court for the second time in a week due to an alleged breach of his bail conditions.

According to prosecutors, Bankman-Fried attempted to use a VPN to access the internet, despite being warned against doing so by Judge Kaplan.

The hearing, which is scheduled for Feb. 16, was set after prosecutors submitted a letter indicating that Bankman-Fried had twice used a VPN to access the internet, most recently on Sunday, and was discovered through a pen register on his personal Gmail account connected to the VPN.

During the Feb. 7 hearing, Judge Kaplan had cautioned Bankman-Fried against using Signal’s encrypted messaging app. He was only asked to refrain from using VPNs until after it had been discussed in court.

Prosecutors are now claiming that Bankman-Fried’s use of a VPN presents several potential risks, including the ability to hide online activities from the government and disguise the user’s whereabouts.

They also suggested that some people use VPNs to access international cryptocurrency exchanges that block U.S. users.

Bankman-Fried’s legal team requested additional time to negotiate new bail conditions, which Judge Kaplan declined. All parties, including Bankman-Fried, are expected to appear in court on Feb. 16.

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Alexander Stefanov

Reporter at CoinsPress

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