Sam Bankman-Fried has limited access to medication and is subsisting on $3 peanut butter while incarcerated.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried appears to be facing challenges while incarcerated, subsisting primarily on bread with peanut butter to adhere to his vegan lifestyle, while depleting his stock of prescribed medication.

During the same hearing in which Bankman-Fried entered a not guilty plea to seven charges related to fraud, his legal representatives requested improved conditions for the former FTX CEO at Brooklyn’s well-known Metropolitan Detention Center, as indicated by an Aug. 22 transcript released by the Inner City Press.

Bankman-Fried’s lawyers asserted that the prison’s limited vegan food options had compelled him to rely on a diet of bread, peanut butter, and water. The former FTX leader declined to consume the “flesh diet” offered at the MDC.

Mark Cohen: They are providing him with a flesh diet. He is surviving on bread and water, and occasionally peanut butter. This is one of the most intricate cases in this courthouse. This is unacceptable and requires correction.
Judge Netburn: I will investigate this today.

— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) August 22, 2023

Mark Cohen, Bankman-Fried’s attorney, mentioned that his client had not received his ADHD medication since entering prison and was “concerned” about running out.

“My client takes Adderall… And like many individuals, he adheres to a vegan diet. He has not received his Adderall at all in the past 11 days,” stated Cohen.

Cointelegraph discovered a commissary list from 2020 indicating that SBF might be paying $3.15 for peanut butter on a menu that is predominantly composed of meat, dairy, and fast food.

U.S. Federal Court Judge Sarah Netburn expressed her intention to further investigate Bankman-Fried’s treatment.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried prosecutors submit proposed jury instructions for trial

Bankman-Fried’s defense team contended that his detention was hindering their ability to prepare for his forthcoming trials—the first of which is set for Oct. 2 this year.

“There are significant Sixth Amendment concerns. Our client cannot prepare for trial. He has been remanded since August 11. No discovery for 11 days, six weeks before trial. It is extensive and can only be reviewed online. We have been presented with only fictional solutions.”

On Aug. 21, Judge Kaplan ruled that Bankman-Fried could communicate with his lawyers in a one-time release on Aug. 22. He was permitted to use one internet-enabled laptop connected to a single WiFi device.

In the latest hearing, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys reported that they had received a proposal allowing him to visit the New York courthouse two days a week, from 9 am to 3 pm.

However, they pointed out that Bankman-Fried would only have access to a pencil and paper and would need to convey his messages by pressing what he had written against the glass barrier separating them.

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