According to PANews, SBF, a fraudster involved in a billion-dollar scam, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. While some celebrate the verdict, others argue that the punishment is too harsh for a non-violent first-time offender. Regardless of the perspectives, the conclusion of this century's crypto trial has brought relief to almost all involved parties.
However, the verdict comes with additional conditions and opportunities that are worth exploring for what might happen next. SBF has made it clear that he not only believes the appeal process will grant him freedom, but he is also willing to sacrifice his comfort and safety for it. He requested to stay in New York's notorious Metropolitan Detention Center to be closer to his legal team, rather than being transferred to a prison near his parents in California.
This strategy is a bold choice: according to the federal judicial system, the success rate of federal court appeals is less than 9%. But this does not deter SBF. A lawyer familiar with the case said, 'The chances of this appeal being successful are zero,' adding that 'his trial was fair, and his sentence was lenient.'
After the initial appeal, SBF has little room for legal maneuvering. In the coming years, he may present specific arguments, but the chances of these arguments being legally viable are extremely low. Meanwhile, it's worth noting that SBF has already spent nearly a year in prison - this time will be deducted from his sentence, reducing his 25-year term by about nine months. As CNN mentioned, he may only need to serve half of his sentence in prison. The remaining time is likely to be spent in a halfway house or at a relative's home.
Once SBF leaves the medium-security prison and returns to his parents' home in Stanford, he will still be responsible for the $11 billion owed to FTX's customers, creditors, and investors. His bank accounts, electronic devices, and future plans will certainly be regularly monitored by federal agents, many of whom are looking for opportunities to catch him violating parole rules.
The story of rebirth is always possible. Take Jordan Belfort and Michael Milkin, for example, both of whom achieved considerable success after leaving prison. Of course, there is no doubt that when SBF leaves prison, he will have a certain market for speeches, book contracts, and consulting. The real question is whether every penny he earns (except for basic living expenses) will be reclaimed to compensate those he has harmed, and whether SBF's story will still be as toxic and unacceptable as it was a decade ago, especially for people in the financial and cryptocurrency industries.
Justice is hard to define, but at least for now, the founder and CEO of one of the largest fraud cases in history is still in prison, facing harsh living conditions for more than a decade, reflecting on everything he has done.