Please create an account to participate in the Slashdot moderation system

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
United States

Bankman-Fried's Prosecutors Raise New Concerns Over Internet Use (bloomberg.com) 41

Posted by msmash from the pushing-the-limits dept.
US prosecutors said their discovery that Sam Bankman-Fried used a virtual private network to access the internet on two recent occasions raises concerns that the FTX co-founder could be hiding his online activities. From a report: The Manhattan judge handling Bankman-Fried's criminal fraud case last week expressed his own concerns that even if the defendant is barred from using encrypted messaging apps like Signal, he could still use old-fashioned secret code to contact witnesses in the case, similar to letters penned by Mary, Queen of Scots, more than 400 years ago. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan refused on Feb. 9 to approve an agreement negotiated between prosecutors and Bankman-Fried that would have required him to stop using Signal and certain other apps and to only contact a specific set of former and current FTX employees, while preserving his right to use WhatsApp with monitoring technology, iMessage and also make Zoom and FaceTime calls. In a letter to the judge late Monday, a prosecutor in the office of the Manhattan US attorney said the government is discussing with lawyers for Bankman-Fried how to fashion internet ground rules acceptable to both sides and the court.
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

Bankman-Fried's Prosecutors Raise New Concerns Over Internet Use More

Bankman-Fried's Prosecutors Raise New Concerns Over Internet Use

Comments Filter:

  • Ridiculous. Steal a bread to feed yourself go to jail. Steal a billion get the VIP treatment.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Entrope ( 68843 )

      Maybe you could list a case or two from this century where someone (in the US) was sentenced to jail for stealing personal-consumption amounts of bread.

      Go ahead, we'll wait. We're patient.

  • I wish the Bahamas had held him for prosecution, they had the first right of refusal as they were harmed as well (and had him in custody).

    He can face justice in the US after serving whatever sentence there.

    "Yes, we will extradite him, but only after he has faced and served justice here."

    As it is he gets to play the system over mimosas and VPN connections...

    He has and still is living better than most of us.

    It's a shame he killed all trust in crypto, there are some valid uses for such but those days have sail

    • Re:The Bahamas never should have let him go (Score:4, Insightful)

      by stabiesoft ( 733417 ) on Tuesday February 14, 2023 @10:20AM (#63291731) Homepage
      Even here, they could just revoke his bail since he is not following bail conditions. But of course white collar, VIP so can't do that. But as you say, best would have been to leave him rot in the Bahamas.

    • Re: The Bahamas never should have let him go (Score:5, Insightful)

      by S_Stout ( 2725099 ) on Tuesday February 14, 2023 @10:39AM (#63291769)
      They chose to pollute the well. People set up shop in the Bahamas to avoid pesky things like regulations. If the Bahamas actually threw the book at him you would see a bunch of other businesses pack up and leave. Remember that countries are not interested in Justice, they are interested in protecting the elite and getting their slice of the pie.

    • The fact that one guy/organization could do that much damage says a lot.

    • Re:The Bahamas never should have let him go (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Tuesday February 14, 2023 @10:46AM (#63291795)

      It's a shame he killed all trust in crypto..

      Nahh, he just illustrted what crypto is.

      • That's why the moral of the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" isn't "Punish the Child."

        Although some people think it should be...

    • "Help us, Jack Sparrow! You're our only hope." - Scam Bank-Fraud

    • > It's a shame he killed all trust in crypto

      Just doing his job.

      Everybody should always use a VPN, though.

      • Everybody should always use a VPN, though.

        Why exactly? Can you explain how with the near-ubiquitous use of TLS 1.2+ on major web sites, in addition to HSTS, how an SSL Strip attack could be conducted? Do you think that trackers are unable to associate browsing activity over VPN with a users' other accounts, social media, etc?

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by DarkOx ( 621550 )

      I know this will be unpopular but ...

      Innocent until proven guilty, and as bad as it all looks he deserves his day in court before the collective 'we' convict him. Its not like he violent, he isnt really endangering anyone there isnt a good justification to penalize him before he is convicted and sentenced if convicted. I am all for holding dangerous criminals or people that continue to represent some sort of the threat to the public while they await trial as long as their right to speedy trial is respected

      • That makes all other crimes that are non-violent but held in jail until court decision cruel and unusual, if you are not administering justice evenly

      • This whole theory that he is a good person because he didn't use violence is flawed he has still caused great harm and hardship to people, and even when he is made aware his actions are unacceptable he continues to act in a fraudulent manner, when you have very clearly acted in a way that causes harm to others whether it was through violence, theft, fraud etc is irrelevant, the result, and the treatment of these "innocent" people needs to be the same, they must face justice. Prisons a literally full of "inn

      • I agree 100% with "innocent until proven guilty," but he is violating the terms of his bail. We wouldn't let an accused killer have access to a gun, we wouldn't let an accused rapist work in a school etc. Bankman-Fried is accused of "computer crime" (my very broad words, bear with me) and the real worry here is that if he has unsupervised access to a computer, he will use that computer to either cover up his crimes, or try to influence the pending trial (e.g by transferring some of the stolen money to judge

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • People need consequences to learn their lessons. Toss him in to a general population prison. I'm sure at least the prisoners will enjoy his mushy body while he thinks about what he's done. LOL.

    • The general population of prison collectively don't have an axe to grind with him. He defrauded comparatively rich people - he might do better than average.

      Instead, pull an Epstein on him. Put sleepy guards in front of his cell, and let the crypto investment community know where he's at.

  • Steganography hides the existence of messages.
    Cryptography hides the content of messages.

    Encrypt then stego.

    There are lots of low tech methods using just human memory or simple items.

    It's hard to stop secret comms without a total cutoff. Especially if the parties agree on methods in advance.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by gweihir ( 88907 )

      It's hard to stop secret comms without a total cutoff. Especially if the parties agree on methods in advance.

      Lets make that "impossible". You will not even be able to tell there has been communication if done right.

Slashdot Top Deals

"Ninety percent of baseball is half mental." -- Yogi Berra

Close