FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is no 'super-villain,' his lawyers say ahead of sentencing

Pleaded not guilty to seven counts of fraud and conspiracy and has vowed to appeal his conviction and sentence

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers said a sentence significantly lower than the five-and-a-quarter to six-and-a-half year guideline range they had previously proposed would be appropriate for his November conviction.

Sam Bankman-Fried is no "super-villain" and should not spend a "medieval" 40 to 50 years in prison as US prosecutors propose, lawyers for the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX said in advance of his sentencing. 

In a court filing, the 32-year-old former billionaire's lawyers said a sentence significantly lower than the five-and-a-quarter to six-and-a-half year guideline range they had previously proposed would be appropriate for his November conviction on charges of stealing $8bn (€7.3bn) from FTX customers.