Former mobster turned federal informant Gene Borrello was segregated from the main jail population and placed in a section with ex-gang members, informants, and high-profile convicts, one of whom was SBF.
He sat down with Tiffany Fong for an hour-long interview after being released from prison, which is available on her YouTube channel. Her X profile also has a shorter version.
SBF was almost extorted in prison
According to a former detainee, Sam Bankman-Fried, alias SBF, was concerned about his safety during his pre-trial imprisonment at the Brooklyn Metropolitan Imprisonment Centre and pondered paying another inmate for “protection.”
MDC officials separated SBF from current gang members to keep him from being shaken down and extorted. However, there was at least one extortion attempt, which Borrello thwarted.
You’ve never been in a fistfight in your life, and now you’re hanging out with Bloods? I know you don’t want to be there. […] [The other prisoner] wanted Sam Bankman to feel like ‘this is dangerous in here, you need protection.
Gene Borrello
During his stay in prison, other inmates perceived the former crypto entrepreneur as timid, with “the body of an 80-year-old,” and with access to money, according to Borrello. According to Borello, a prisoner allegedly attempted to make Bankman-Fried scared in order to blackmail him for protection money.
He has the body of the 80-year-old. He has, like, no shape to him, you know what I mean?
Gene Borrello
Borrello asserts that he initiated an altercation with the other inmate by confronting him. Borello claimed to have spent 80 days in solitary confinement, the special housing wing of the jail where both were placed.
SBFs rocky stay in prison
Later, due to purported demands from his parents, who were concerned for his safety, SBF was almost relocated to the solitary unit as well.
However, Borrello was released before this was even a possibility. Instead, SBF allegedly spent his days in prison educating other inmates about finance and providing free business advice. He allegedly spent hours each day giving inmates money advice once they were released. There were no mackerel packages involved.
Despite purportedly earning a million dollars per day at the peak of his career, the former crypto millionaire astonished fellow convicts by admitting that the only luxury he allowed himself was a penthouse in the Bahamas.
I said, what are you doing with the money? What kind of watch did you have?’ He said, ‘I had an Apple Watch,’ I said: ‘What kind of car were you driving?’ He said: ‘a 2020 Toyota Camry.’ Me and my friends go: ‘So what the f*** did you steal the money for? You wanna look at it?’
Gene Borrello
Borello expressed the view that Bankman-Fried’s perceived fortune, which peaked at an estimated $26 billion, prevents him from entering the regulator population, as others would likely attempt to extort him once more.
SBF’s reality check
Borrello recalled a conversation he had with Bankman-Fried, who reportedly believed he “was not getting a lot of time.” Borrello claimed SBF was more concerned about jail than about his case and that he expected to spend 20 years in prison.
He just didn’t understand how much trouble he was in […] We were trying to explain to him that this is the feds, you’re accused of stealing billions of dollars […] He just didn’t understand how screwed was until we started breaking it down to him.
Gene Borrello
Borrello also noted that, given Bankman-Fried’s good reputation, he wondered who was feeding him these ideas. Perhaps it was nothing more than the disgraced moguls’ notorious arrogance.
Borello further stated that he attempted to warn Bankman-Fried that New York Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing his case, is the “strictest judge in the Southern District.”
In most situations, judges follow the prosecution’s sentencing recommendation — which has yet to be presented in Bankman-Fried’s case — “which could be something out of this world,” according to Borrello.
SBF faces 115 years in prison if convicted to the full extent of the law. The former FTX CEO will be sentenced on March 28th once sentencing guidelines are reviewed. His legal team will almost certainly file an appeal.
