Sam Bankman-Fried’s attempt to secure a new trial has faced fresh complications after US prosecutors raised concerns over a suspicious letter and a judge ordered new disclosures.
Prosecutors said they do not oppose granting more time for the retrial request but warned that a March 16 letter attributed to Bankman-Fried may not be authentic.
The concerns stem from the letter being sent via FedEx despite prison restrictions, alongside inconsistencies in shipping data and the use of a digital signature rather than a handwritten one.
Judge Lewis Kaplan has now ordered Bankman-Fried to clarify who is preparing his court filings and to submit a sworn statement by April 15 confirming authorship.
The judge also ruled that if lawyers were involved, they must be identified, and all future filings must include the same disclosure requirements.
The order does not determine whether a new trial will be granted but instead focuses on enforcing transparency and adherence to court procedures.
Bankman-Fried’s retrial bid remains active, though it is now subject to increased scrutiny that could delay proceedings and shift focus away from the core legal arguments.