Prosecutors in Sam Bankman-Fried's trial raise concerns about the former cryptocurrency mogul's repeated requests for more Adderall during his criminal trial, claiming in court Monday that his doctor "has engaged in some suspect practices."
"Witnesses have informed the government that he was liberally prescribing Adderall to people who told us that they did not need Adderall at all or at that level," Danielle Sassoon, a prosecutor in the trial, told US District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday.
The accusation comes as Bankman-Fried's lawyers have, for weeks, filed letters with the court expressing that their client has been unable to concentrate in his ongoing criminal trial and struggling to meaningfully participate in his defense.
Bankman-Fried, his lawyers say, has been prescribed Adderall to treat his ADHD but has had his access to the medication limited by the Bureau of Prisons. The pills he receives every morning in the Metropolitan Detention Center, in Brooklyn, wear off in the morning, and neither the US Marshalls nor his attorneys are permitted to bring the pills to court so that he could use them during the day, his attorneys say.
But, as Bankman-Fried's attorneys revisited their medicinal complaint in court on Monday, the prosecution accused them of using a sham doctor who overprescribes to patients.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has "conducted their own evaluation and determined that a lower dose was medically appropriate" for Bankman-Fried, Sassoon said in court Monday.
The exchange comes after defense attorney Mark Cohen wrote in a letter to the court on Sunday explaining that Bankman-Fried has not had "his prescribed dose of Adderall during trial hours." On Monday morning, Cohen privately told the judge that Bankman-Fried wasn't given the necessary dosage by the Bureau of Prisons that morning.
Cohen went as far as to ask the court to consider a half day on Tuesday so that the afternoon could be dedicated to resolving the defense's concerns about Bankman-Fried's access to Adderall, a prescription drug that improves the user's focus and attention.
Cohen argued that it has been difficult for Bankman-Fried to remain attentive during the trial without taking a dose of Adderall during the day.
Kaplan said that, while he isn't a doctor, he hasn't noticed any issues with Bankman-Fried's focus.
"With all due respect to everybody's good faith, I have not observed a problem with the defendant in this period of time," Kaplan said. "Not that I'm medically competent, but I just make that note."
Kaplan noted that "extended-release" pills of Adderall — which would allow the dosage to be released from the capsule throughout the day — would be made available starting on Thursday. When Bankman-Fried's lawyers suggested stopping the trial until then, Kaplan refused.
"I'm inclined to push ahead," Kaplan responded. "I can't have lawyers coming in and giving drugs to people on trial because somebody says they need it. I just can't do it."
