FIRST ON FOX: The former Stanford University Law School dean who signed a $500,000 bond to help secure Sam Bankman-Fried's release on house arrest has been spotted for the first time since his identity was revealed by court order earlier this week.
Larry Kramer was identified Wednesday as one of the two guarantors who joined Bankman-Fried's parents, Stanford law professors Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, in securing the disgraced FTX founder's $250 million release on house arrest late last year.
The fourth co-signor, Stanford research scientist Andreas Paepcke, signed a $200,000 bond for Bankman-Fried, but has not yet shown his face days after a federal judge ordered that un-redacted court documents showing the remaining bail-backers' identities be released to the public.
Kramer and Paepcke's names were hidden from public view for several weeks at the urging of Bankman-Fried's defense team, who argued that doing so was for the co-signers' safety.
GOP LAWMAKERS PROBE TIMING OF FTX FOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED'S ARREST
The attorneys argued that the defendant's parents have faced harassment and physical threats since FTX collapsed and entered bankruptcy in November, and that security concerns grew after their son's release. Bankman-Fried's lawyers fear Kramer and Paepcke may face similar threats.
Ultimately, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan agreed to unseal the non-parental bail-backers' names at the urging of several media outlets, who argued that doing so was in the public's interest in the high-profile case.
FTX SEEKING RETURN OF SAM BANKMAN-FRIED'S POLITICAL DONATIONS
Bankman-Fried remains on house arrest at his parents' Palo Alto, California home as he awaits trial this fall on several charges related to the collapse of his cryptocurrency exchange, which resulted in customers losing billions of dollars.
But Judge Kaplan hinted Thursday that Bankman-Fried could find himself back behind bars while he awaits trial, after prosecutors raised multiple concerns that the former crypto king was using virtual private networks (VPNs), encrypted messaging apps, and possibly tampering with witnesses – all of which have resulted in the tightening of his bail conditions over possible violations.
GET FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY CLICKING HERE
FOX Business' Marta Dhanis contributed to this report.
