Ryan Salame's lawyers allege misconduct in plea deal, demand dismissal of indictment against Michelle Bond

Quick Take

  • Ryan Salame’s lawyers asked for a New York court to either dismiss any indictment of Bond for campaign-finance violations and if not, vacate its conviction judgment made in May.
  • Salame was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and was set to appear for his sentencing on Aug. 29, but his lawyer asked him to push that date back to Oct. 13 to get urgent surgery after a dog attack.

Lawyers for former FTX executive Ryan Salame say prosecutors used plea negotiations to "threaten" his partner and mother of his child, Michelle Bond, and have not followed through on their word to not bring an indictment against her.

Salame's lawyers asked for a New York court to either dismiss any indictment of Bond for campaign-finance violations and if not, vacate its conviction judgment made in May.

"In an effort to induce Salame’s plea, Government lawyers conveyed that they would discontinue investigating Bond if Salame pleaded guilty," lawyers said in a court document filed on Wednesday. "Considering Salame’s manifest desire to protect Bond, Salame responded by agreeing to enter into a plea agreement. Yet the Government failed to abide by its word, recently resuming its investigation into Bond and pursuing an indictment against her."

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Block. Bond declined to comment. Salame posted the court document on X.

Salame, previously the co-CEO of FTX Digital Markets, pled guilty in September to conspiring to make unlawful political contributions, as well as conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and was set to appear for his sentencing on Aug. 29, but his lawyer asked him to push that date back to Oct. 13 in order to get urgent surgery after a dog attack.

Salame worked closely with former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried. Bankman-Fried was sentenced in March to almost 25 years in prison following a criminal fraud trial late last year.

Bond launched a think tank in June to help shape digital assets and artificial intelligence regulation. The think tank, called Digital Future, said it plans to work with stakeholders and policymakers on issues surrounding financial services and "advocate for policies that enhance the integrity and stability of the marketplace."

Update: Aug. 21, 10:40 p.m. UTC to include no comment from Bond


Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.

© 2024 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

About Author

Sarah is a reporter at The Block covering policy, regulation and legal happenings. Before, Sarah was a reporter with CQ Legal writing about securities regulation, which is where she first started reporting on crypto. Sarah has also written for The Bond Buyer and American Banker, among other finance-related publications. She graduated from the University of Missouri and earned a degree in print and digital journalism. Sarah is based in Washington D.C., and is an avid coffee lover. You can follow her on Twitter @ForTheWynn.

Editor

To contact the editor of this story:
Jason Shubnell at
[email protected]