Ex-Alameda CEO seeks court’s protection for supporters’ identities ahead of sentencing in FTX case
8 months ago 2 min read
Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of Alameda Research and a key figure in the FTX scandal, has requested a federal court to keep private the personal information of individuals who submitted letters supporting her ahead of her upcoming sentencing.
Her sentencing, set for September 24, could mark the next major step in the fallout from the collapse of FTX, following the sentencing of former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame in May.
In a motion filed on September 9 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Ellison’s attorney, Anjan Sahni, asked the court to redact the names and personal details of her supporters from public documents.
The filing argued that revealing these details could expose her supporters to harassment and even danger, particularly given the intense media attention surrounding Ellison since she testified against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in October 2023.
“Ms Ellison’s friends should not be subject to harassment and doxing because they have written to the Court,” Sahni stated in the filing.
He noted that Bankman-Fried had previously attempted to release Ellison’s private information to the media, further heightening concerns for her safety and that of her supporters.
Ellison’s legal team also plans to include sensitive information regarding her current living arrangements, health conditions, and personal life in the court documents.
This is part of an effort to present a comprehensive view for the court to consider in her sentencing. They have requested that all such sensitive details be redacted from public records to protect her privacy.
Ellison pleaded guilty to multiple charges of fraud and money laundering in December 2022 after FTX’s collapse revealed widespread financial misconduct involving the misappropriation of user funds between FTX and Alameda Research.
Despite the severity of her charges, which could carry a maximum sentence of up to 110 years in prison, legal experts believe that her cooperation with prosecutors might result in a more lenient sentence.
Ellison’s sentencing will make her the third key figure in the FTX-Alameda case to potentially face prison time. Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in March, a decision his legal team is appealing.
Ryan Salame, who received a 90-month prison sentence in May, is set to report to prison in October, though his legal team is working to overturn his guilty plea in a related case.
Other former FTX executives, including former engineering director Nishad Singh and co-founder Gary Wang, are also awaiting their sentencing hearings later this year, adding more chapters to the ongoing legal saga surrounding one of the largest cryptocurrency scandals to date.
