Sam Bankman-Fried, the FTX co-founder is appealing for temporary release from jail

FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried is seeking temporary release from jail to collaborate on his legal defense with his attorneys at the federal courthouse in Manhattan.

In a letter sent to US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Bankman-Fried's legal team highlighted his inability to adequately review the extensive documents related to his case while being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn.

According to Bankman-Fried's lawyer, Christian Everdell, the government recently provided him with three-quarters of a million pages of Slack communications, which were initially due months ago.

Everdell emphasized that it's critical for Bankman-Fried to closely work with his legal team and use an internet-enabled laptop at the courthouse to expedite the review process. This is particularly urgent considering his fraud trial is scheduled for October.

However, prosecutors raised concerns about Bankman-Fried's compliance with the requirements regarding his planned defense. They noted that he hasn't yet provided all necessary information about the advice he relied on for his actions.

Prosecutors warned that unless Bankman-Fried promptly discloses these details and their source, he might be barred from introducing such a defense at his trial.

While prosecutors offered to provide documents on hard drives for Bankman-Fried's use at the MDC, a laptop solution wasn't feasible.

Initially, prosecutors considered transferring Bankman-Fried to a smaller facility with internet-enabled laptop access, but prison officials opposed this idea.

The Metropolitan Detention Center has a notorious reputation for its challenging conditions, which is known among inmates.

Bankman-Fried was jailed due to alleged witness tampering, as Judge Kaplan found probable cause that he attempted to tamper with witnesses on multiple occasions.

The decision was also influenced by his unauthorized use of the Internet while under bail at his parent's residence in California. Bankman-Fried engaged in extensive contact with individuals via text and even utilized a virtual private network.

Furthermore, Bankman-Fried is facing new allegations from the Department of Justice, including the embezzlement of customer funds. An indictment against him states that he misappropriated and embezzled customer deposits from FTX, using the funds for over $100 million in political campaign contributions before the 2022 US midterm elections.

The indictment asserts that Bankman-Fried knew about FTX's financial deficit but continued to use the embezzled money for personal investments, acquisitions, and campaign contributions.