Caroline Ellison wrote a steamy Bridgerton-style romance novel as she waited to be taught her destiny for collaborating within the multi-billion-dollar crypto fraud at FTX , her mother has revealed.
The MIT-educated Ellison had a tempestuous on-off relationship with FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried and mused about experimenting with polyamory — after which famously turned state’s proof and gave damning proof towards her ex.
“She has written an enthralling novella (set in Edwardian England and loosely primarily based on her sister Kate’s imagined amorous exploits, to Kate’s nice delight),” her mom Sara Fisher Ellison wrote in a letter asking the sentencing decide for leniency.
“She is engaged on one other novel, which we’ve but to see,” the mom added.
The 29-year-old now has ample time to complete that follow-up — she was sentenced to 2 years in jail Tuesday for her function within the FTX disaster, which noticed billions of {dollars} price of cryptocurrency vanish in days in 2022.
Thought of one of many largest monetary crimes in historical past, Ellison pleaded responsible to fraud the identical 12 months and agreed to cooperate with federal prosecutors.
That cooperation was instrumental in touchdown FTX founder — and her former lover — Bankman-Fried behind bars for 25 years.
After pleading responsible, Ellison was freed on $250,000 bail whereas she testified for the feds.
Some observers steered Ellison may keep away from jail solely for her cooperation. Nonetheless, on Tuesday, Decide Lewis Kaplan mentioned a jail sentence was wanted as a result of Ellison had participated in what is perhaps the “best monetary fraud ever perpetrated on this nation and doubtless anyplace else.”
Kaplan mentioned he wouldn’t grant her a “get out of jail free card” regardless of Ellison’s “real” regret for her function within the brazen crime — by which Bankman-Fried stole billions of {dollars} of FTX consumer funds in 2022 to plug losses at his failing hedge fund.
The decide additionally mentioned that Ellison was “susceptible” and was “exploited,” calling Bankman-Fried “your kryptonite.”
“Whilst you had been gravely culpable on this fraud, there isn’t a doubt that you simply had exceptional cooperation,” Kaplan added. “That’s a basic distinction between you and Mr. Bankman-Fried.”
Sporting a darkish grey blazer over a maroon costume, Ellison stood, her palms clasped collectively in entrance of her, because the decide delivered the sentence. She then tilted her head barely ahead. She was ordered to report back to jail on Nov. 7.
Along with penning racy prose as she whiled away the 2 years earlier than her sentencing, Ellison has additionally been volunteering as an English as a second language instructor, her mom wrote in her letter
“These duties should not efficiency to her. She cares about doing job and cares concerning the individuals she helps. None of that is shocking to us, after all, however we’re heartened by the truth that she is discovering a lot pleasure and success in instantly working to assist these in want,” she mentioned.
Ellison has additionally been contributing to a statistics textbook her father and a few colleagues are engaged on, the mom wrote.
“Caroline is a really proficient author,” she mentioned.
A Boston-area native and graduate of MIT, Ellison confronted as much as 110 years in jail for her half within the scheme earlier than she took the plea.
She is because of begin her jail sentence on November 7.
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