Caroline Ellison asks to seal supporters’ info at Sept. 24 sentencing

A court filing from former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison’s attorney seeks to redact the names and personal information of parties writing letters of support for her sentencing hearing, scheduled for Sept. 24.

In a Sept. 9 filing in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, WilmerHale partner Anjan Sahni — representing Ellison — filed a motion requesting that the court redact personally identifying information from the former Alameda CEO’s supporters. According to the filing, the letters could contain information about Ellison’s current living situation “that could put her at risk of continued harassment” if made public.

Since her testimony at the criminal trial of former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried in October 2023, Ellison has rarely, if ever, been seen in public or required to appear in person in court to address matters related to her case. She pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 2022 after FTX collapsed and had been awaiting sentencing — the Sept. 9 filing appeared to be the first public reference to Ellison’s hearing.

“As the Court is aware, Ms. Ellison has been the focus of intense media scrutiny and Internet fascination since the outset of this case, including from Sam Bankman-Fried’s repeated efforts to release Ms. Ellison’s private information to the media,” said Sahni, adding:

“Because Ms. Ellison’s friends should not be subject to harassment and doxing because they have written to the Court, Ms. Ellison seeks leave to redact their names and other identifying information from the publicly filed version of the letters and her sentencing memorandum.”

According to her lawyer, the former Alameda CEO plans to include medical information for the court to consider as part of her sentencing recommendation. In addition to information on “where she resides, her partner, and the organizations with which she volunteers,” Ellison’s legal team seeks to have all information on potential medical treatments redacted.

Going to prison?

Should the sentencing hearing move forward on Sept. 24, Ellison could be the third defendant in the criminal case involving FTX and Alameda to face prison time. 

In March, Judge Lewis Kaplan sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison after a 2023 trial. His lawyers have filed a notice to appeal. 

Former FTX Digital Markets co-CEO Ryan Salame is expected to report to prison on Oct. 13 for a 90-month sentence handed down in May. However, his legal team will address a petition to vacate his guilty plea in a Sept. 12 hearing as part of prosecutors’ case against his partner, Michelle Bond. 

Related: In prison and awaiting sentencing — Where are the FTX execs now?

In December 2022, Ellison pleaded guilty to seven counts of wire fraud, commodities fraud, securities fraud and money laundering related to the misuse of user funds between FTX and Alameda. If given the maximum allowable sentence, she could face up to 110 years in prison, but many legal experts said this was unlikely given her cooperation and testimony.

Former FTX engineering director Nishad Singh and co-founder Gary Wang, who also pleaded guilty to criminal charges, are scheduled to appear for sentencing hearings on Oct. 30 and Nov. 20, respectively. Wang could be the last defendant to appear in court as part of the FTX case.

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