Benzinga - Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed FTX, now has improved access to a laptop and internet, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), CoinDesk reported.
The DOJ has responded to a judge’s order for a report on the conditions faced by Bankman-Fried at the Manhattan Detention Center in Brooklyn. The crypto executive, who has been in jail since mid-August, will now have access to a laptop seven days a week, and three hard drives with defense material at all times.
The DOJ’s statement comes after Bankman-Fried’s defense team argued that their client needed to be released from jail to work on his defense. They cited poor internet access and battery life as limitations to his ability to prepare for his criminal trial next month.
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Following a virtual hearing, Judge Lewis Kaplan directed both parties to compile a report on these issues. The DOJ revealed that Bankman-Fried now has access to an air-gapped laptop for 11 hours a day on weekdays and 7.5 hours a day on weekends and holidays.
Twice a week, Bankman-Fried can use an internet-enabled laptop. The defense team had raised issues about the laptop’s battery life and weak internet connection, but a new battery that lasts approximately 8 hours has been provided. The DOJ stated that the internet speed, which ranges from 7.5 megabits per second (Mbps) to 34 Mbps, is “sufficient for most internet review activities.”
Bankman-Fried is being held after Judge Kaplan revoked his bail, ruling that the FTX founder had tried to tamper with witnesses. His defense team has appealed the bail revocation and argues that his detention infringes on his Sixth Amendment right to work on his own defense.
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