A federal judge denied Sam Bankman-Fried’s request for a new trial on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, denying the former FTX executive’s bid to reopen his case based on newly discovered evidence.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan printed judgment in New York, where he oversaw the Bankman-Fried trial of 2023. Bankman-Fried was convicted of the FTX collapse and later sentenced to 25 years in prison.
The request was made under Article 33, a procedure that allows defendants to seek a new trial if new evidence emerges. Bankman-Fried said the jury did not hear the full picture of FTX’s investment, including claims that the exchange has assets that can repay customers.
He also argued that evidence of lawyers’ involvement in FTX’s decisions could have substantiated his claim that he acted in good faith and not with intent to violate the law.
However, Kaplan rejected the offer even after Bankman-Fried tried to withdraw it. Bankman-Fried said the judge would not be fair in ruling on the petition.
The decision leaves Bankman-Fried’s substantive appeal before the Second Circuit as its primary avenue for challenging the decision.
A note Judge Denies Sam Bankman-Fried’s Retrial Bid in FTX Case appeared for the first time BeInCrypto.
