WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A federal grand jury in Texas has indicted Allen Stanford and four others accused of running a massive fraud scheme that bilked investors of some $7 billion over more than a decade.
The U.S. Justice Department unveiled the indictment papers on Friday and detailed charges in the case, which revolves around Stanford's bank dealings in Antigua:
- Stanford, four others accused, face 21 charges of fraud and obstruction.
- Five charged are Stanford and former Stanford corporate officials Laura Pendergest-Holt, Gilberto Lopez, Mark Kuhrt and Leroy King, an Antiguan regulator.
- Indictment says the accused defrauded investors who bought about $7 billion (4.2 billion pounds) in certificates of deposit from Stanford's offshore bank.
- Stanford, others, also accused of diverting $1.6 billion in undisclosed personal loans to Stanford.
- Stanford and other accused charged with falsely claiming Stanford's bank assets grew from $1.2 billion in 2001 to $8.5 billion in December 2008.
- Indictment alleges that about $5 billion on Stanford bank's reported assets consisted of notes on loan to Stanford and grossly overstated interest in island properties.
- More than $2 billion was allegedly added to the bank's books in 2008 from artificial real estate deals
- Indictment charges Allen Stanford with making more than $100,000 in "corrupt payments" to Antigua bank regulator Leroy King to ensure bank records were not audited.
- Indictment seeks forfeiture of fraud proceeds from all defendants.