# Low-Security Lompoc II Prison Held Zhao Before Bankman-Fried

By Sonny Jang

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/people/26662
Published: 2026-10-04T12:25:50.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-04T12:25:50.000Z
Section: People

> Zhao left the prison for a halfway house in August 2024, then spent his final two weeks in custody at a local jail.

A low-security prison in Lompoc, California, held Changpeng Zhao before later housing FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried at a different time. Zhao’s preparations before reporting to prison and his release in 2024 offer a glimpse into his time in custody.

Before reporting to prison, Zhao assembled advisers to explain the unwritten rules of cellblock politics. One adviser corresponded with other inmates, and someone on the other end of that correspondence agreed to help Zhao adjust to prison life.

Zhao left the Lompoc prison for a halfway house in August 2024. An issue with his immigration status led him to spend his final two weeks at a local jail, where he passed the time doing pushups and situps.

On the day Zhao was released from custody, 26 minutes elapsed before his private plane took off.