A judge on Tuesday rejected jailed cryptocurrency mogul Sam Bankman-Fried's request for a new trial, calling his latest evidence “wildly conspiratorial.”

Judge Questions SBF's Key Arguments

Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, filed for a new trial in February, claiming that former FTX executives—Daniel Chapsky, Ryan Salame, and Nishad Singh—were “threatened” by the Department of Justice into silence or changing their testimony.

Judge Lewis Kaplan, who sentenced SBF to 25 years for the FTX fraud, said none of these witnesses were “newly discovered.” SBF knew about them before trial. “He could have obtained or at least sought to compel their testimony. But he did neither,” Kaplan wrote. “His assertion that their absence [or, in one case, the decision of the witness to testify against him] was a product of government threats and retaliation is wildly conspiratorial and entirely contradicted by the record.”

Interestingly, SBF withdrew his motion for a new trial last week, saying he doubted he could get a “fair hearing” from Kaplan. The court shot that down too.

SBF's Attempts to Secure Trump's Pardon?

The motion came after SBF claimed FTX was “never bankrupt,” blaming lawyers for filing a bogus bankruptcy case. But court records and regulatory complaints show FTX was deeply insolvent once the hidden deficit at sister trading firm Alameda Research came to light in late 2022. SBF was convicted of stealing customer funds for personal expenses, political donations, and venture investments.

Lately, SBF has been vocal in supporting Trump's policies on the economy, foreign relations, and crypto. But Trump has indicated he has no intention of pardoning him.