Former FTX Digital Markets Co-CEO Ryan Salame appeared in a New York courtroom as part of a hearing to vacate his guilty plea related to the cryptocurrency exchange's collapse.
Court Hearing
According to Inner City Press reports on September 12, Judge Lewis Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York questioned Salame about potential perjury in his guilty plea concerning unlawful political contributions, defrauding the Federal Election Commission, and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Salame indicated his willingness to testify about an alleged agreement with prosecutors in the hearings or his partner Michelle Bond's criminal trial.
Campaign Finance Charges
On August 22, prosecutors unsealed an indictment against Michelle Bond, alleging that she and Salame illegally funded her 2022 campaign for the US House of Representatives. Salame attended the initial hearing in New York, where Bond pleaded not guilty. Salame withdrew his motion to vacate his plea deal on August 29; however, Judge Kaplan ordered him to appear for a September 12 hearing to address the issue.
Ryan Salame's Case Status
Among the five defendants in the indictment of former FTX and Alameda Research executives, Salame was the only one who did not testify at Sam Bankman-Fried's 2023 trial. In May, Judge Kaplan sentenced him to 90 months in prison. Despite being initially ordered to report to prison on August 29, Salame requested a delay due to medical complications, which led the judge to postpone the reporting date to October 13. During the September 12 hearing, the date was further moved up to October 11.
Bond and Salame are free on $1 million bail each and have been ordered to surrender their travel documents. Salame has remained active on social media platform X since his sentencing in May, making claims about other individuals involved in the FTX case.
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