Judge grants ex-FTX exec’s request to postpone reporting to prison

A federal judge has granted a motion filed by lawyers representing former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame to delay reporting to prison until Oct. 13.

In a July 30 filing by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Lewis Kaplan approved a motion allowing Salame to push his self-surrender date by 45 days as part of his sentence to 7.5 years in prison. Salame’s legal team requested the delay due to medical complications from a dog biting the former FTX executive’s face on June 29 while he was visiting a friend’s home.

The July 26 motion by Salame’s legal team redacted medical information related to his injuries but claimed that a German Shepherd “mauled” him, and he would require treatment and surgery before reporting to prison. He was initially going to report to prison on Aug. 29, roughly three months after being sentenced.

The former FTX executive returned to the social media platform X after roughly two years following his May sentencing hearing. On the day of the alleged dog attack, he suggested that a surgeon who didn’t hold his political views would be more likely to intentionally harm him while treating the wound. 

Salame was one of four former FTX CEO Sam “SBF” Bankman-Fried associates to be indicted in the criminal case involving the misuse of customer funds at FTX and Alameda Research. In September 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and engaging in campaign finance fraud.

Judge Kaplan sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison in March after he was convicted on seven felony charges. He has since filed a notice of appeal.

Other FTX and Alameda associates Nishad Singh, Gary Wang and Caroline Ellison pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors as part of plea agreements. Singh and Wang are scheduled to be sentenced in October and November, respectively, while Ellison’s hearing had not been set at the time of publication.