Caroline Ellison Requests Court Seal Supporters’ Identities Prior To Sentencing On September 24

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Julia Smith

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Julia Smith

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Julia is an experienced editor with a passion for covering a wide variety of beats. She loves all things politics and regularly covers regulatory updates on emerging technology here for Crypto News.

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September 9, 2024

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Former Alameda Research CEO and one-time associate of Sam Bankman-Fried Caroline Ellison is requesting that the identity of those who wrote letters of support on her behalf before her September 24 sentencing be redacted.

Former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison To Be Sentenced

According to the latest court filing, Ellison is petitioning for “an order permitting the redaction of certain sensitive information” ahead of her “forthcoming sentencing submission” on Tuesday, September 24.

“Ms. Ellison seeks leave to redact the names and personally identifying information of third parties, including certain people who have submitted letters of support on her behalf; certain irrelevant medical information; and certain information regarding Ms. Ellison’s current living situation that could put her at risk of continued harassment,” the court document stated.

Ellison, who pleaded guilty to seven criminal charges stemming from her time FTX’s doomed sister company back in December 2022, was considered the prosecution’s star witness when she testified against her former boyfriend Sam Bankman-Fried at his whirlwind fraud trial in the fall of 2023.

Scrutiny From Sam Bankman-Fried

During her testimony, Ellison largely painted her fraudster ex-boyfriend as a controlling, power-hungry and image conscious digital asset entrepreneur willing to endanger customer funds so long as it fit his own ideals.

Ellison admitted to having a hand in the massive crypto fraud scheme, though publicly expressed remorse and visibly broke down on the stand while testifying as part of her plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Bankman-Fried attempted to discredit Ellison’s testimony against him by releasing her private diary entries to the New York Times, prompting presiding Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to revoke the bail of the one-time crypto tycoon prison ahead of his trial.

“Ms. Ellison has been the focus of intense media scrutiny and Internet fascination since the outset of this case, including from Sam Bankman-Fried’s repeated efforts to release Ms. Ellison’s private information to the media,” the court filing continued. “Because Ms. Ellison’s friends should not be subject to harassment and doxing because they have written to the Court, Ms. Ellison seeks leave to redact their names and other identifying information from the publicly filed version of the letters and her sentencing memorandum.”

Ellison faces up to 110 years in prison total for her role in the crime, though given her helpful and compelling testimony, she has a chance of facing no prison time at all.