Former FTX executive Salame's sentence reduced by one year, early release date moved up to 2031.

Former FTX executive Ryan Salame was originally sentenced to 7 and a half years, but updated records from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) show that his sentence has been reduced by one year. He is expected to be released early in March 2031.

Release date moved up from 2032 to 2031

According to BOP records, Salame's sentence has been reduced from the original 7 and a half years to 6 and a half years, with the latest release date set for June 2031. Although foreign media have inquired about his current imprisonment at the Cumberland Federal Prison in Maryland, as of now, no response has been received and the reason for the reduction in sentence is still unknown.

Salame admitted in September 2023 to embezzling FTX user funds for political donations and committing crimes such as fraud against the Federal Election Commission and operating an unlicensed remittance business. On May 28, 2024, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in federal prison with a three-year probation period after release.

From defense to conviction, the court insists on heavy sentences in Ryan Salame's BOP criminal record.

Salame's lawyer requested in the sentencing memorandum on May 14, 2024, that the court not impose a sentence of more than 18 months on Salame. The lawyer also argued that Salame has already suffered significant punishment due to asset forfeiture, is not a core member of FTX, and has no knowledge of SBF's fraudulent behavior.

The US prosecutors originally recommended a sentence of 5 to 7 years, but Federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan deemed the nature of the case to be too severe, thus sentencing Salame to a total of 7 and a half years.

Lawyer's appeal and failure, withdrawal of plea for guilty denied

On August 21, 2024, Salame requested the court to revoke the plea agreement and accused the prosecution of threatening his partner, Michelle Bond, during the plea bargaining process. Salame stated that he pleaded guilty because the prosecutors promised to stop investigating Bond. However, the prosecution stated that they never promised to stop investigating Bond and also mentioned that Salame's lawyer was already aware of this matter.

After the failure of his request to withdraw the guilty plea, Salame once again attempted to postpone his sentence but was not approved, and finally entered the federal prison in Cumberland, Maryland on October 11, 2024. He also expressed that he was "not worried at all" about going to prison, and faced life before entering prison with ease, and was quite optimistic about prison life.

(Former FTX executives accuse US prosecutors: Please do not involve ex-girlfriend in the investigation, both sides have different stories)

This article FTX former senior Salame's sentence reduced by one year, the release date advanced to 2031 first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.