Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend Ellison urges judge to spare her prison for FTX fraud

FILE PHOTO: Former crypto hedge fund Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison arrives to testify at the trial of former FTX Chief Executive Sam Bankman-Fried, who is facing fraud charges over the collapse of the bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange, at Federal Court in New York City, U.S., October 10, 2023 in this still image from video. Reuters TV via REUTERS/File Photo

(Reuters) - Former cryptocurrency executive Caroline Ellison urged a federal judge not to send her to prison after she pleaded guilty over her role in the theft of $8 billion from customers of Sam Bankman-Fried's bankrupt FTX exchange.

In a court filing just before midnight on Tuesday, Ellison's lawyers told U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan in Manhattan that she deserves leniency for helping prosecutors build a successful criminal case against Bankman-Fried, her onetime boyfriend.