NEW YORK — A Manhattan judge rejected a request Tuesday from embattled crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried to modify the conditions of his $250 million bail.
Lawyers for the one-time golden boy of digital currency wrote Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday to say they agreed with the feds allowing him to use Zoom, WhatsApp, FaceTime and send text messages while under house arrest. But Kaplan declined to sign off on that agreement and told the parties they must appear in court Thursday.
Prosecutors on Jan. 27 asked Kaplan to bar Bankman-Fried from using encrypted messaging apps or contacting any current or former employees of his former trading platform FTX or hedge fund Alameda. The request came after the feds learned that while under house arrest, he contacted a witness with firsthand incriminating information about him, according to court documents.
