John Deaton Tears Into the Idea That Sam Bankman-Fried’s Sentence is Too Harsh

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Ah, the saga of Sam Bankman-Fried. His 25-year prison sentence—once the subject of hot debates in crypto circles—has now transformed into a fascinating drama. You’d think the end of this rollercoaster would bring peace, but instead, it has brought the typical noise of ‘was it too harsh?’ Enter John Deaton, lawyer and crypto guru, who appears to have no intention of letting the conversation die down.

Community Member Zach: A Defender or Just Misguided?

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter, of course), a well-meaning crypto enthusiast named Zach decided to weigh in. His take? Maybe Bankman-Fried’s sentence was a bit… excessive. His logic? The customers of SBF’s FTX exchange are being paid back with interest, so why all the fuss? Surely, this wasn’t a case of bankruptcy, just bad cash flow management—an unfortunate oversight rather than malice.

To give credit where it’s due, Zach did admit that combining FTX customer funds with Alameda Research was, indeed, a legal misstep. But was it really a crime? Zach argued it was more a case of poor decision-making—something all too common in the world of crypto. After all, maybe SBF was just trying to balance ethics with the lofty ideals of effective altruism, not lining his pockets with cash. A small, charming tale of good intentions gone awry, right?

However, not everyone agreed. After a chorus of boos from fellow community members, Zach quickly clarified that he wasn’t vouching for SBF’s innocence, only that a 25-year sentence was… not exactly the kind of justice they had in mind. Fair enough, Zach. Fair enough.

Sam Bankman-Fried deserved every single year of that 25-year sentence. But hold on, it gets better. Deaton wasn’t stopping at just SBF. Oh no, in a plot twist that could rival any crime thriller, he suggested that Bankman-Fried’s parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, should be locked up too!

Deaton dug into the evidence, citing private chats that revealed SBF’s altruistic public persona was nothing more than a well-crafted illusion. No remorse, no lessons learned. Just a cold disregard for the wreckage left behind. And then, of course, there was the small matter of SBF’s $10 million donation to the Biden administration. Oh, the drama of it all.

To cap it off, Deaton called for the revival of the SBF campaign finance fraud case, one that had been conveniently dropped for the simple reason that it involved elected officials. Wouldn’t want to upset the apple cart now, would we?

Is There Still Hope for Sam Bankman-Fried?

Now, not all hope is lost for our boy SBF. Some market players believe that the Justice Department might come to the rescue. After all, prosecutors and regulators have been dialing down on crypto-related cases lately. What could that mean for Sam? Maybe a chance at freedom? Maybe.

However, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. The Justice Department is still very much interested in keeping crypto on a short leash, and John Deaton’s strong call for further charges suggests leniency is off the table. Still, the shifting tides of Washington politics leave a sliver of hope. After all, Arthur Hayes—the former CEO of BitMEX—got a Presidential pardon. So, miracles can happen… apparently.

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2025-04-27 00:27