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Julia Smith
Author
Julia Smith
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Convicted FTX executive Ryan Salame will begin serving his 7.5-year sentence today following a tell-all interview with reporter Tucker Carlson that may have hindered his last-ditch attempt to delay his prison surrender date.
Ryan Salame Faces The Music
The former head of FTX’s Bahamian subsidiary, FTX Digital Markets, will reportedly serve his sentence at a federal correctional institution in Cumberland, Maryland. He pleaded guilty in May to violating campaign finance laws and operating an unlicensed money transmitter business.
Salame, who previously had his original August prison report date pushed back to this month following what court documents refer to as a “dog-bite injury to the face” back in June, filed a request on October 9 to once more stall going behind bars due to “continuing medical treatment deemed necessary by his treating physician to recover from the injuries sustained.”
However, an October 10 appearance on Tucker Carlson seemingly helped to decide his fate, as presiding Judge Lewis A. Kaplan of the Southern District of New York said he appeared “physically recovered and entirely unimpaired” while questioning the “veracity” of his statements on his program.
Former FTX Executive Talks With Tucker Carlson
“They told me if I pled guilty to these two crimes they would not pursue my loved ones and looking at anything they had done or investigating them,” Salame told Carlson of U.S. prosecutors who later indicted his partner, ex-congressional hopeful Michelle Bond, on campaign finance violation.
Salame ultimately attempted to withdraw his plea this past August, prompting Kaplan to threaten him with sanctions for seemingly perjuring himself.
Salame largely blamed his criminal charges on failure of counsel and alleged politics within the Department of Justice, arguing he operated in good faith during his time at the now defunct crypto exchange.
The former Sam Bankman-Fried ally notably refused to testify at the FTX founder’s landmark 2023 fraud trial, with members of the crypto community speculating that it could have led to his lengthy sentence.
Ex-Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison, who was largely considered the prosecution’s star witness after consented to a cooperation agreement with the federal government, only received two years behind bars for being part of the massive digital asset scheme.
“The government hands get out of jail free cards if you parrot the narrative they want and everyone who would provide any counterpoint is frightened,” Salame concluded.
