U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan acknowledged that Ellison was “gravely culpable” in the fraud but also recognized her “remarkable cooperation,” which distinguished her from Bankman-Fried.

Sam Bankman-Fried was convicted of multiple fraud charges related to the collapse of FTX and is serving a 25-year prison sentence. He is currently appealing the conviction and sentence.

Ellison’s sentence was reduced due to her significant cooperation with the authorities, which was instrumental in securing Bankman-Fried’s conviction. Prosecutors recommended leniency because of her honest and full cooperation.

Ellison faced a potential maximum sentence of 110 years in prison for her crimes.