Caroline Ellison‘s attorneys are requesting time served and supervised release, citing her cooperation in the FTX case.
Former co-CEO of Alameda Research, Caroline Ellison, is advocating for a sentence of time served and supervised release instead of prison time as her sentencing date approaches on Sept. 24. In a court filing on Sept. 10, Ellisonβs attorneys underscored her cooperation with authorities and the Probation Departmentβs recommendation for no prison time.
Ellison, who pleaded guilty to fraud linked to FTXβs multi-billion-dollar downfall and testified against the exchangeβs mastermind, Sam Bankman-Fried, last November, has played a crucial role in the investigation and subsequent legal proceedings.
Her cooperation was pivotal in Bankman-Friedβs conviction on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, which resulted in his 25-year prison sentence. In their filing, Ellisonβs lawyers stressed that she has shown βextraordinary cooperation with the governmentβ and that a sentence of time served with three years of supervised release would be appropriate.
Ellisonβs attorneys pointed out that the former head of Alameda Research βposes no risk of recidivism and presents no threat to public safety,β adding that it would βpromote respect for the law to grant leniency in recognition of Carolineβs early disclosure of the crimes, her unmitigated acceptance of responsibility for them, and β most importantly β her extensive cooperation with the government.β
The document included testimonials from John J. Ray III, CEO of the FTX bankruptcy estate, and Robert J. Cleary, the court-appointed examiner. Both commended Ellison for her valuable assistance in recovering assets and providing credible information.
FTX collapsed in November 2022 amid allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of billions of dollars in customer funds involving its owners and affiliated hedge fund Alameda Research. Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the exchange, was sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to reimburse $11 billion.
Stay updated with the latest developments and explore more news on Global Crypto News.