Judge Orders the Release of Identities of SBF’s Bail Bond Guarantors

A US district judge, Lewis A. Kaplan has ordered the release of documents containing the identities of guarantors that co-signed Sam Bankman-Fried’s bail bond.

A CNBC report revealed the two guarantors to be Larry Kramer, a former Stanford Law School Dean, and Andreas Paepcke, a senior research scientist at Stanford University.

There appears to be a connection between the parents of SBF and both sureties. In addition to being Stanford academics, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried also live near the institution. Kramer signed a $500,000 unsecured bond, while Paepcke signed a $250,000 bond.

At the time of Bankman-Fried’s release, the court did not disclose the identities of the other two co-signers of his bail. However, some media outlets filed a petition requesting the court to unravel their identities. Their petition received a positive response when Judge Kaplan ruled that their details be revealed.

However, Bankman-Fried’s attorneys filed an appeal that their identities should not be disclosed due to security risks.

Is Sam Bankman’s Bail Bond a Sham?

Sam Bankman-Fried was released in December after his bail was co-signed by his parents and two others whose identities have now been revealed. He was released on the condition of paying a $250 million bond, staying at home, being monitored, and forfeiting his passport.

His release has since prompted inquiries about the federal bail system and the rationale behind the release of such a well-known defendant. The bond is essentially a guarantee to show up in court when needed. SBF has not given the court any money and won’t unless he is found to have broken one or more of the judge’s rules.

There are instances where SBF was alleged to have broken some of his bail requirements. The former CEO was reported to be seen, sitting in a lounge inside John F. Kennedy International Airport after he was released on bail.

Another report also stated that SBF removed $684,000 from the defunct FTX platform, which probably violated one of his release conditions. The report claimed that the former CEO transferred the funds in crypto assets to a Seychelles centralized exchange and RenBridge, a crypto bridge funded by Alameda Research.