Sam Bankman-Fried, the former cryptocurrency mogul currently behind bars for fraud, has submitted a request for a pardon from President Donald Trump.
Bankman-Fried received a 25-year prison term after being found guilty on several federal charges tied to FTX, the digital currency exchange he established and ran, as well as its affiliate Alameda Research.
Having served only two years of that term, the 34-year-old ex-billionaire has now lodged an application for a pardon after completion of sentence with the Department of Justice, as indicated by online records.
If Bankman-Fried ultimately secures a pardon, his offenses would essentially be legally absolved.
A White House spokesperson declined to offer a comment. An attorney representing Bankman-Fried did not respond to a request for input.
A "pardon after completion of sentence" would entail that Bankman-Fried's conviction on multiple fraud charges would be excused once he finishes his incarceration.
He has not sought a commutation, which involves reducing an active criminal sentence.
Nevertheless, he is presently pursuing an appeal against his punishment, and he has consistently asserted his innocence.
Bankman-Fried rose to prominence as a recognizable figure in crypto, a type of currency existing solely in digital form, as FTX gained popularity as a widely used crypto exchange with millions of users.
The business collapsed in 2022 following allegations that Bankman-Fried had misused deposited funds for personal purposes, including making private investments and settling debts.
His pardon request appears among more than 20,000 petitions for either pardons or commutations, according to records from the Office of the Pardon Attorney at the justice department.
Trump has granted numerous pardons during his second term, including for hundreds involved in the 6 January 2021 assault on the US Capitol Building, former staff members accused of offenses, the creator of a dark web marketplace for drug sales, and even the head of another crypto platform, Binance.
However, Trump was asked earlier this year whether he would pardon Bankman-Fried. At that time, he suggested he would not.