Sam Bankman-Fried is banned from using smartphones, only using the network for these 2 purposes

The request came when prosecutors discovered that Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, was sending messages and calling former employees of crypto exchange FTX through the encrypted messaging app Signal. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, said Sam could face jail time if he could not monitor his communications to ensure the integrity of the trial.

While on bail since late December 2022, Sam used Signal to contact former employees and virtual networks (VPNs) with different IPs to access websites to avoid detection. So the judges decided to submit a request to tighten Sam’s bail rules. In particular, the FTX co-founder is only allowed to use flip phones “without Internet connectivity”.

“Bankman-Fried is currently authorized to use a flip phone or a phone with no Internet connectivity or disabled Internet connectivity,” prosecutors wrote. In addition, Bankman-Fried must also not contact current or former employees of both FTX and Alameda Research .”

In addition, Sam was only allowed to use a laptop with limited features and was allowed to use a designated VPN to access websites for two purposes: to prepare his defense and to those sites that he did not know. Prosecutors said there was no danger. Those sites include Netflix, Doordash, Uber Eats, Major League Baseball, and the National Football League.

Sam “Curly” also used Zoom, Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat applications to prepare for his repair. The online activities of the former FTX CEO and his parents are both recorded via secure software and periodically checked by competent prosecutors.

Previously, the former CEO of FTX was granted bail by the court on December 23 with a bond of $ 250 million. This is also the highest bail fee in US history. Sam was asked to turn over his passport and stay with his parents before the federal trial over the collapse of FTX.

The court ordered the owner of the FTX exchange to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, participate in psychological counseling sessions and limit travel from Northern California to the Southern and Western counties of New York City.

Ref: Business Insider, New York Times