Sir Robert Allen Stanford Enters Not Guilty Plea to $7 Billion Fraud Charges/Court States Intention to Release Him on $500,000 Bond
Sir Robert Allen Stanford entered a plea of not guilty yesterday to the indictment charging him with alleged defrauding investors in a $7 billion Ponzi scheme. U.S. Magistrate Judge Frances Stacy presided over the arraignment in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas in Houston.
Also yesterday, Stanford's co-defendant and alleged co-conspirator, Leroy King, a former official with Antigua and Barbuda's Financial Services Regulatory Commission, was arrested in Antigua. King is in custody pending a potential extradition request to the United States.
Stanford remains in custody. Magistrate Judge Stacy told the parties yesterday that she intended to order Stanford released on $500,000 bond, but that she would reserve her ruling until today to give the government time to appeal her decision. Assistant United States Attorney Paul Pelletier argued that there are no set of conditions which would guarantee Stanford's appearance at trial. The Government has filed a Memorandum in Support of Detention, arguing that Stanford should be denied bond based on the fact that he has a motive to flee, as well as the means and opportunity, noting, among other things, that Stanford's passport shows that he has traveled to over 30 foreign countries, and entered Antigua over 40 times in 2008. The defense filed a Memorandum in Support of Standford's Right to Pretrial Release on Wednesday, arguing that Standford is not a flight risk and that Stanford is required to be released on his own recognizance or an appearance bond under 18 United States Code section 3142. The memorandum cites the fact that Stanford voluntarily surrendered his passport to the Government after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil fraud suit against him back in February; and that he arranged to voluntarily surrender to authorities upon learning of his indictment. We note that Stanford also has a home in South Florida... complete with a moat.
