Online reports, according to Cointelegraph, former CEO Alex Mashinsky strongly opposed the U.S. Department of Justice's request to recommend him to a 20-year sentence, saying the move was equivalent to a "sentence of death in prison." Mashinsky pleaded guilty in December 2024, pleading guilty to manipulating the price of CEL tokens and cashing in $48 million before the collapse of Celsius. His lawyers said Mashinsky was a first-time non-violent crime and had a flawless business record for 30 years, arguing that the sentence should not exceed 366 days. Prosecutors believe that his actions were deliberate fraud and that hundreds of users suffered property losses as a result. The verdict will be handed down on May 8.