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Judge Lewis Kaplan
U.S. District Judge who presided over SBF trial
1 case·2 media appearances
Profile
U.S. District Judge who presided over SBF trial
Profile
Lewis A. Kaplan is a senior United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York who presided over the criminal fraud trial of Sam Bankman-Fried.[1] Appointed to the federal bench by President Bill Clinton in 1994, Kaplan has overseen numerous high-profile cases throughout his career.[2]
During the SBF trial, Kaplan managed a complex proceeding involving extensive financial evidence, testimony from multiple cooperating witnesses, and intense media scrutiny. He ultimately sentenced Bankman-Fried to 25 years in prison in March 2024, describing the fraud as potentially "the greatest financial fraud ever perpetrated in this country."[1][3]
Kaplan also presided over Caroline Ellison's sentencing, where he praised her cooperation as "very, very substantial" while still imposing a two-year prison sentence, stating that the seriousness of the crime warranted incarceration despite her assistance.[3]
Casefile Archives 4: Mirna Salihin
Casefile · Jan 31, 2026 · 1h 24m
Case 93: Susan Snow & Bruce Nickell
Casefile · Aug 25, 2018 · 1h 33m
