FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, accused of perpetrating one of the largest financial frauds in recent history, needs a higher dose of Adderall to stay focused at his criminal trial, his lawyer wrote in a letter to the judge presiding over his case late Sunday.
Defense attorney Mark Cohen added that whether the former crypto king takes the stand in his own defense is directly correlated to getting additional doses of the prescription drug that helps people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
BIDEN-APPOINTED PROSECUTOR REJECTED HUNTER CASE, RAISING CONFLICT OF INTEREST QUESTIONS
Bankman-Fried currently gets a morning dose and night dose to treat his ADHD, but Cohen argued the medicine wears off by the time the trial day starts, leaving Bankman-Fried unfocused and fidgety.
“Bankman-Fried has been doing his best to remain focused during the trial for the past two weeks, despite not having his prescribed dose of Adderall during trial hours,” Cohen wrote. “However, as we approach the defense case and the critical decision of whether Mr. Bankman-Fried will testify, the defense has a growing concern that because of Mr. Bankman-Fried’s lack of access to Adderall, he has not been able to concentrate at the level he ordinarily would and that he will not be able to meaningfully participate in the presentation of the defense case.”
Cohen suggested Bankman-Fried be given a 12-hour extended-release dose of the medication before he leaves for the courthouse each morning from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center. He added that he had tried to contact a lawyer for MDC but had not received a response.
In a previous letter to the court, Cohen wrote that “for over five years Mr. Bankman-Fried has been prescribed Emsam 9mg/24 hrs transdermal patch for the treatment of depression” and that “for the past three years, Mr. Bankman-Fried has been prescribed Adderall 10mg tablets, 3-4x/day for the treatment of ADHD.” He added that multiple attempts to get the 31-year-old regular access to his prescribed medication had failed.
Bankman-Fried is accused by the government of illegally diverting billions of dollars from client accounts for his personal use, which included making risky trades at his cryptocurrency hedge fund. He’s also accused of making illegal donations to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and their affiliated political action committees as part of a plan to buy power and influence regulation.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of fraud and five conspiracy counts tied to FTX’s catastrophic collapse. If convicted of all the charges against him, he could be facing a life sentence.
Three members of Bankman-Fried’s inner circle have testified against him so far. They include Adam Yedidia, a college friend who went to work for him at FTX; FTX co-founder Gary Wang; and Caroline Ellison, Bankman-Fried’s former girlfriend and onetime CEO of Alameda Research, a cryptocurrency hedge fund Bankman-Fried owned and Ellison ran.
