Judge Kaplan blocks SBF retrial push, ends bid

Judge Kaplan has rejected former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s (SBF) latest request for a retrial, issuing a “Memorandum and Order” on April 28. The court said the government’s opposition was comprehensive and that the defense was given extra time to respond. Because SBF missed the deadline, Judge Kaplan ruled the motion was “ripe for decision” and denied it in full. SBF was convicted in New York in November 2023 on all seven criminal counts, including conspiracy, money laundering, and wire fraud. He received a 25-year prison sentence. Even while his appeal was pending, SBF filed a new-trial motion on February 5, 2026, claiming “newly discovered” evidence. In support of the bid, SBF argued through a pro se filing (suggesting he may have had professional assistance) and brought witnesses—claiming either bankruptcy processes returned victims’ funds or that FTX was not truly insolvent. Judge Kaplan rejected these arguments. The judge found that Nishad Singh’s testimony had already been addressed in the original trial, and that no new material change affected the outcome. For Ryan Salame, Judge Kaplan expressed concerns that Salame’s later public claims conflict with the sworn guilty plea record. The decision formally “put an end to this matter,” and the clerk is required to mail the order to SBF in prison. For traders, this is another step toward legal finality in the FTX saga, but it is not a direct protocol/market catalyst.