Nishad Singh Seeks No Jail Time, Downplays Role in FTX Collapse

Key Takeaways

• Nishad Singh’s lawyers have asked a federal judge to spare him from jail. 
• Alameda chief Caroline Ellison made a similar plea but was rejected.
• Singh will be sentenced on Oct. 30.

In a last-ditch effort to avoid incarceration, Nishad Singh, a former top executive at the failed crypto exchange FTX , has asked a federal judge to spare him from prison time, citing his limited role in the company’s massive fraud scheme and his extensive cooperation with authorities.

Nishad Singh Pleads for Mercy

According to a memo filed in Manhattan District Court, Singh’s legal team submitted 100 letters of support and argued that their client’s involvement in the FTX scandal was notably less egregious than that of his co-defendants.

The lawyers also highlighted Singh’s prompt guilty plea to six criminal charges, including conspiracy and fraud, and his decision to testify against his former boss, Sam Bankman-Fried , during a trial last October.

Singh is set to be sentenced on Oct. 30, but his legal team is urging the court to recognize his ongoing cooperation with investigators, which they claim was instrumental in building cases against Bankman-Fried and another former executive, Ryan Salame .

“The evidence Nishad provided in those early meetings was critical to helping the government bring both Sam Bankman-Fried and Ryan Salame to justice,” the memo stated.

Singh’s lawyers also emphasized that he did not join the conspiracy at the heart of the case—the theft of FTX customer funds—until September 2022, just two months before the company’s collapse, in a bid to mitigate their client’s fault.

As the sentencing date approaches, it remains to be seen whether the court will consider these factors and grant Singh the leniency he is seeking.

Can Nishad Escape Jail Time?

Despite his claims of cooperation, Nishad Singh’s bid to avoid jail time seems like a long shot. While Singh may have provided valuable information to authorities, his role in creating a backdoor between FTX and Alameda Research, allowing the latter to siphon off customer funds, is a significant strike against him.

The engineering chief’s creation of this secret conduit enabled Alameda Research to tap into FTX customer accounts , fuelling the very practices that ultimately led to the exchange’s downfall. This glaring misdeed will likely weigh heavily on the court’s consideration of Singh’s plea for leniency.

Singh’s legal team’s argument that his guilty plea and cooperation warrant a reprieve from incarceration may not resonate with the judge, especially in light of the recent sentencing of Caroline Ellison , another top FTX executive who turned state’s witness.

Ellison’s lawyers made a similar case for her lenient treatment, but the judge ultimately ruled that her cooperation did not entitle her to a free pass, sentencing her to two years in prison.

Given the gravity of Singh’s offenses and the court’s precedents, it appears unlikely that he will escape jail time entirely.

It’s likely Singh might get a lenient sentence similar to Ellison.