Three men reportedly drove their car into the metal barricade outside Sam Bankman-Fried’s parent’s home where he is currently under house arrest, SBF’s lawyers claim.
In a filing to the federal court, the lawyers for the former FTX CEO said the three men got out of the car after hitting the barricade and told a security guard guarding the home: “You won’t be able to stop us.”
The unidentified trio were then able to drive away before security guards could record the car’s license plate.
According to a Reuters report, the incident was described in a Jan. 19 court filing which they said underscored the security risks faced by the FTX founder and those linked to him, including the two individuals who secured Bankman-Fried’s $250 million bond, stating:
“Given the notoriety of this case and the extraordinary media attention it is receiving, it is reasonable to assume that the non-parent sureties will also face significant privacy and safety concerns if their identities are disclosed.”
The lawyers however didn’t specify the date or time at which the incident took place.
On Jan. 12, lawyers representing some of the largest U.S. media outlets – including Bloomberg, CNBC, Reuters and the Financial Times – wrote a letter to U.S. District Court judge Lewis Kaplan to request for the names of the guarantors.
The media’s lawyers argued the public’s right to know Bankman-Fried’s guarantors significantly outweighed their privacy and safety rights.
Given that Bankman-Fried shares close ties to some of the wealthiest and most politically-connected individuals on the planet, the lawyers argued that such non-disclosure could undermine public confidence in U.S. government institutions.
Related: FTX profited from Sam Bankman-Fried’s inflated coins: Report
Bankman-Fried was extradited to the U.S. in December and pleaded not guilty to all eight fraud and conspiracy-based charges laid against him on January 3, 2023.
All charges relate to his alleged involvement in FTX’s catastrophic collapse in November.The controversial figure remains under house arrest at his parent’s California home until his trial date, which is set for October 2, 2023.