Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF), the former FTX CEO convicted of fraud, has been transferred from a federal jail in New York City to the Federal Transfer Center (FTC) in Oklahoma City.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons updated his status on Thursday, marking a shift from his previous detention at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he had been held since August 2023.
FTC Oklahoma City serves as a transit hub for inmates moving between federal prisons, suggesting that SBF may soon be relocated to a permanent facility.
His transfer comes after a judge recommended he remain in New York to assist with his appeal following his 2024 sentencing to 25 years in prison.
Previously housed in a high-profile unit that has held figures like Sean "Diddy" Combs and Luigi Mangione, SBF has faced multiple relocations since his bail was revoked due to allegations of witness intimidation.
While his official release date is set for November 2044, his sentence could be reduced based on behaviour.
His latest transfer signals a new phase in his incarceration, though his final destination remains uncertain.
Despite remaining largely silent during his trial, SBF has recently re-emerged in conservative media, granting interviews to outlets like Tucker Carlson and the New York Sun.
His most controversial move came on 5 March, when he secretly recorded a video interview with Carlson from Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center—without approval from prison officials.
The interview, which aired shortly afterward, sparked immediate backlash.
Reports suggest that SBF’s outreach to conservative audiences is part of an effort to appeal to former President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers, possibly angling for a federal pardon.
During the interview, conducted a day before his 33rd birthday, he claimed that Ryan Salame, the former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO, had been charged with “bogus crimes,” implying political motivations behind the case.
He had added:
“I don’t think I was a criminal.”
Prison policy mandates pre-approval for media interactions, but SBF bypassed this rule by disguising the interview as a legal call with his attorney, according to prison consultant Larry Levine.
Levine speculated:
“He probably called it a legal visit. They allowed him to use the system for an unmonitored video visit.”
The deception led to immediate consequences—he was placed in solitary confinement for a day, and officials are now reviewing the incident for further disciplinary action.
This was not an isolated stunt.
In February, SBF also spoke with the New York Sun, and he has been increasingly active on X (formerly known as Twitter).
His online presence, combined with his media appearances, appears to be part of a broader campaign for a presidential pardon—one that his parents and close associates are reportedly pushing behind the scenes.
Trump has made no public indication that he is considering a pardon for SBF.
One of his first acts after returning to office was pardoning Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder, who later attended a joint session of Congress following his release.
However, a pardon for SBF appears far less likely.
According to William Livolsi, executive director of the White Collar Support Group, key differences set the two cases apart.
Ulbricht’s conviction stemmed from running an illicit online marketplace, whereas SBF’s crimes directly led to billions in investor losses.
Additionally, Ulbricht was sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years without parole—an extreme punishment that fuelled a public campaign and a promise from Trump during his campaign to grant clemency.
No such movement exists for SBF.
Despite this, SBF has attempted to align himself with Republicans, granting interviews to independent media outlets, including a February conversation with The New York Sun and a controversial, unauthorised interview with Carlson in March 2025.
That interview, conducted from prison, violated facility policies and led to his placement in solitary confinement before being transferred from New York to Oklahoma.
Trump has been generous with pardons, but SBF remains conspicuously absent from the list.
The question remains—why has he been left out, and how far will he go in his bid for clemency?
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