Judge rejects an 11th-hour bid to free FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried during his trial

A judge has closed the door on FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s hopes to be free during his trial. But he extended the hours that the 31-year-old cryptocurrency peddler can meet with his lawyers in a federal courthouse. Judge Lewis A. Kaplan on Thursday rejected a request by Bankman-Fried’s lawyers to free their client so he can work on his defense. Bankman-Fried is accused of defrauding cryptocurrency investors. The trial is expected to start Tuesday with jury selection and extend into November. Kaplan says Bankman-Fried has had adequate time to prepare for trial since he was brought to the United States from the Bahamas last December.