By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters) -Sam Bankman-Fried, the jailed founding father of bankrupt cryptocurrency alternate FTX, appeared in court docket on Wednesday for the primary time since his November fraud conviction and confirmed he wished to stay with new legal professionals regardless of a attainable battle of curiosity.

Bankman-Fried, 31, in January employed protection legal professionals Marc Mukasey and Torrey Younger to symbolize him by way of his March 28 sentencing. He may face a long time in jail after a Manhattan federal court docket jury discovered the previous billionaire responsible of stealing billions of {dollars} from FTX prospects.

At a short listening to earlier than U.S. District Decide Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan, Bankman-Fried mentioned he was comfy hiring Mukasey and Younger despite the fact that in addition they symbolize the founding father of bankrupt cryptocurrency lender Celsius Networks, Alex Mashinsky, who has pleaded not responsible to separate fraud expenses.

Kaplan requested Bankman-Fried, who wore a tan jail shirt and chains round his ankles, to explain the attainable battle in his personal phrases.

“At a excessive stage, in addition they symbolize Alex Mashinsky,” mentioned a clean-shaven Bankman-Fried, whose curly hair has grown longer since his monthlong trial final yr.

Bankman-Fried described Celsius as “a agency that the companies I ran had enterprise interactions with.”

Mukasey, a former federal prosecutor in Manhattan and the son of former U.S. Lawyer Common Michael Mukasey, was as soon as a part of former President Donald Trump’s private authorized workforce.

He additionally represented electric- and hydrogen-powered truck maker Nikola (NASDAQ:)’s founder Trevor Milton, who was sentenced final yr to 4 years after being convicted of fraud for mendacity to traders in regards to the firm’s know-how – effectively beneath the 11 years prosecutors recommended.

Bankman-Fried advised Kaplan he had consulted with legal professionals Mark Cohen and Christian Everdell, who represented him throughout his trial, about Mukasey’s potential battle. Bankman-Fried mentioned he additionally had mentioned it with Alexandra Shapiro, one other lawyer who will deal with his eventual attraction.

Mukasey mentioned Cohen and Everdell will quickly request Kaplan’s permission to withdraw from the case.

In a Feb. 6 court docket submitting, prosecutors in Bankman-Fried’s case mentioned his Alameda Analysis hedge fund used stolen FTX buyer funds to repay cash it borrowed from Celsius. The prosecutors mentioned Bankman-Fried and Mashinsky could have completely different opinions as as to whether Celsius was defrauded and entitled to restitution.

Bankman-Fried, held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Heart since August 2023, mentioned on Wednesday he has been taking anti-depressant medicine and Adderall, which is used to deal with consideration deficit hyperactivity dysfunction. Throughout his trial, Bankman-Fried’s legal professionals mentioned in October he wanted a better Adderall dose than he had been receiving in jail every morning to focus.

Mashinsky, 59, waived his proper to a lawyer with none potential conflicts at a listening to on Tuesday earlier than U.S. District Decide John Koeltl. Mukasey and Younger mentioned at that listening to that they might pretty symbolize each Bankman-Fried and Mashinsky.

Mashinsky is free on bail. His trial on expenses of artificially inflating the worth of the corporate’s in-house crypto token and incomes $42 million from promoting his holdings is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025.