According to CoinDesk: Ryan Salame, a former senior executive of the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, is set to begin his 7.5-year prison sentence after a judge rejected his request for a delay, citing insufficient justification for the postponement. Salame had argued that he needed time to treat a dog bite to his face, but his recent appearance in an interview with Tucker Carlson undermined his claims.
Salame, who had been convicted of violating U.S. election laws by contributing millions of dollars to congressional elections, sought multiple delays for medical treatment related to the dog bite. His initial reporting date of August 29 had already been postponed to October 11 due to the injury caused by a German shepherd. He requested another extension earlier this week, citing the need for further medical care.
However, Salame’s appearance on Carlson’s show, where he showed no apparent signs of injury or impairment, convinced Judge Lewis Kaplan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that Salame was fit to begin his sentence. The judge noted that during the interview, Salame appeared physically well and had no visible complications related to the dog bite, calling into question the "veracity" of his claims.
Prosecutors had also pointed out that Salame showed no signs of injury during a recent court appearance, describing him as free of symptoms like drooling or slurred speech. The judge, citing the “extremely generous postponements” Salame had already received, denied his latest attempt to delay imprisonment.
Salame, who had been an outspoken critic of his prosecution on social media, has now embraced his inmate status, even humorously updating his LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) profiles with references to his new role as a prisoner.
In a related development, prosecutors are also investigating Salame’s girlfriend, Michelle Bond, a prominent crypto advocate, for allegedly receiving illegal campaign contributions from him during her failed congressional run in New York.
