Sam Benkman-Fried's parents say he's "too naive" for prison and pleaded with the judge to commute his sentence

Relatives of the former owner of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX begged the judge to reduce the sentence, claiming that Sam's naivety could pose an "extraordinary danger" for him behind bars, Business Insider reported.

"I sincerely fear for Sam's life in a typical prison environment," wrote his mother Barbara Fried in a letter to the judge. "His appearance, inability to read and respond to certain social signals, as well as a touching, but naive belief in the power of facts and reason in resolving disputes, will put him in extreme danger."

Letters from parents and brother, as well as around 20 supporters, were added to the documents package that the lawyers submitted for court consideration on Tuesday. They demand to reduce his sentence to 78 months — or 6.5 years.

"In this environment, Sam's reactions will sometimes be perceived as strange, inappropriate, and disrespectful; when this happens, he will be in physical danger," wrote Sam's father Joseph Bankman. "Nothing can justify such a risk."

In November, a jury found Sam Bankman-Fried guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy during a criminal trial in Manhattan under the supervision of U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan.

First photo of Sam Bankman-Fried in jail#SamBankmanpic.com/ZJHIgjGHRX

— FundedDesk (@FundedDesk) February 21, 2024

Prosecutors established that he "mixed" FTX clients' money with another company Alameda Research and misappropriated them. It was also reported that the "naive" Bankman-Fried used billions of client dollars to buy luxury goods or real estate, and considered the purchase of the island nation of Nauru to build a bunker. The sentence carries a maximum punishment of 110 years imprisonment.

"Sam is only 32 years old and is facing the prospect of spending most of his life in prison," writes Barbara Fried. "His father and I understand that we will not live long enough to see his release. There are no words to express what we feel."

Meanwhile, lawyers stated that a more lenient sentence would be justified, as FTX clients would likely recover a significant portion of their funds in the company's bankruptcy process.

Prosecutors will also be able to submit their own recommendations by March 15 before the sentencing hearing scheduled for March 28.

In her emotional letter, Barbara Fried states that her son was mistakenly labeled as a "cartoonish villain driven by greed" who committed the "fraud of the century." In reality, he allegedly was an altruist helping friends who had experienced family tragedies, although he himself had struggled with depression all his life.

"I don't feel pleasure. I don't feel happiness. For some reason, my reward system never worked," reads Bankman-Fried's notes from 2016, also attached to the submission.

"I hate the pain I caused you. And I hate myself for causing it. I would really like to know how to love you better. I'm sorry," says another letter from Sam, probably sent to a loved one.

Barbara Fried also noted that her son's behavior and nervous tics in court are related to autism.

"He poorly reacts to social signals in 'normal' ways, he is uncomfortable looking people in the eyes, he is uncomfortable with outward displays of emotions," Fried writes. "He is not interested in social conversations, but he will passionately and tirelessly express ideas to the point of irritating and exhausting others."

Barbara Fried, a renowned expert in legal ethics, also said that John J. Ray III, the lawyer who headed FTX after its collapse, ignored Bankman-Fried's efforts to help return funds to clients.

"When John Ray publicly complained that FTX's internal records were so poor that they couldn't compile a list of clients, Sam promptly found the relevant documents and wrote to them, but they never responded to his letters."