Sam Bankman-Fried Moved to One of California’s Most Violent Prisons

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of the collapsed crypto exchange FTX, has been moved to a medium-security prison in California. The prison is known for its violent environment and gang-related activity. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed his location through its inmate database.

SBF Moved to Victorville Prison After Brooklyn and Oklahoma Stay

Before this transfer, he spent over 18 months at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. In late March 2025, he was briefly held at a transfer center in Oklahoma for two weeks.

Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced in November 2023 after a Manhattan jury found him guilty on seven counts of fraud and conspiracy, relating to the collapse of FTX and the mismanagement of over $8 billion in customer funds. Prosecutors described the case as one of the largest financial frauds in U.S. history.

Despite the conviction, Bankman-Fried maintains his innocence. In a recent statement, he said, “I don’t think I’m a criminal,” and emphasized that many customer funds have since been recovered. He has filed an appeal against the verdict and is seeking a presidential pardon from Donald Trump.

His parents, both Stanford law professors, are reportedly helping with the effort. The campaign comes in the wake of Trump’s previous pardon of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road, another digital asset case.

Before being moved from Brooklyn, Bankman-Fried gave an unauthorized video interview from prison to former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. In the interview, he discussed prison conditions and reiterated his claim of innocence. The stunt reportedly led to his placement in solitary confinement and further raised concerns about his behavior behind bars.

Experts believe his current stay at Victorville is likely long-term. The judge overseeing his case had recommended he be placed in a California facility to be closer to his family in Palo Alto. However, lawyers for Bankman-Fried had asked to keep him in New York while the appeal was underway.

Life Inside Victorville

Prison experts say Victorville is one of the toughest medium-security prisons in the U.S. Former inmates and consultants often refer to it as “Victimville” due to its high levels of violence and gang-related activity. Federal prison consultant Christopher Zoukis noted that West Coast prisons are typically more violent than those on the East Coast, with inmates required to join racially aligned groups known as “cars” for their safety.

Victorville Medium II houses more than 1,400 inmates. It has a history of violent incidents, including stabbings, gang fights, and attacks on guards. In one case from 2017, an inmate stabbed the warden with a sharpened weapon, requiring over 80 staples to treat the injury. That same year, multiple guards were injured in separate assaults. In 2013, a fatal beating led to three inmates being convicted of second-degree murder. 

While the prison environment is harsh, Victorville does offer limited programs for inmates, including access to a law library, sports activities like basketball and Foosball, and classes such as Microsoft Office and leather working.

Still, safety remains a concern. Zoukis noted that anyone not associated with a “car” — inmate groups organized by race or gang affiliation — is often left vulnerable. One description from a former inmate reads, “A car is required for personal safety.”