Sam Bankman-Fried Subsisting on Bread and Water in Prison, Deprived of Medication, According to Defense: Report

Sam Bankman-Fried has reportedly only been eating bread and water in prison due to the lack of vegan options in his correctional facility.

According to a report from Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press, the disgraced FTX founder’s lawyers told Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in court on Tuesday that Bankman-Fried hadn’t received his Adderall in 11 days and was only being served a “flesh diet.”

Mark Cohen, one of Bankman-Fried’s attorneys, said that was making things difficult for his client, who reportedly follows a vegan diet.

“They are serving him a flesh diet. He is only eating bread and water, and sometimes peanut butter.”

Judge Netburn reportedly said she would look into Bankman-Fried’s diet and medication issues.

Christian Everdell, Bankman-Fried’s other lawyer, also claimed that the FTX founder was dealing with “Sixth Amendment issues.”

“Our client cannot prepare for trial. He was remanded since August 11. No discovery for 11 days, six weeks from trial. It is voluminous, it can only be reviewed online…

We have been offered only fictions as solutions. They mentioned Putnam County Correctional Facility – but we’re told that’s not an option. Then they said they’d ask the MDC if our client could have an Internet enable computer in the MDC…

Now the offer is to bring our client to this courthouse two days a week, 9 to 3. But that means it’s gone from unlimited access to two days a week, and not even full days. Even if he’s able to look at it, he can’t communicate his thoughts to us.”

The Sixth Amendment to the US Constitution states that anyone accused of a crime should have the right “to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.”

On Wednesday, District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan reportedly issued an order greenlighting Bankman-Fried to meet daily with his lawyers in the Southern District of New York courthouse, according to Russell Lee.

Bankman-Fried faces a slew of charges for allegedly defrauding customers and mishandling billions of dollars worth of their funds, as well as making illegal political donations. If convicted, he could face more than 100 years in prison.

The FTX founder was initially placed under house arrest on a $250 million bail, but he was sent to prison earlier this month after he allegedly tampered with a witness. His trial is set to kick off on October 2nd.

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