Leroy King, the former head of Antigua's Financial Services Regulatory Commision, remains the sole fugitive from justice in the billion dollar Stanford International Bank Ponzi scheme, and a principal target of the US Department of Justice. His extradition has been delayed several years, and most legal observers say that political pressure has been applied to delay his case indefinitely, by repeatedly changing the judge asigned to hear the case, who then requires many months to study it, before transferring it to yet another member of the judiciary.
King apparently fears being removed from Antigua by means other than extradition; he has been seen with no less than three full-time bodyguards* to prevent such action by private bounty hunters, who have been rumored to have been engaged to bring him to Texas where he faces a potential life sentence. King is the only defendant to have escaped American justice for his prominent role in concealing from US regulators the fact that Stanford bank was a massive Ponzi scheme. He allegedly has first-hand knowledge of millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, paid by Stanford to the most senior officials then in the Government of Antigua, some of whom are now still in office.
Former FSRC head Leroy King |
In 2018, efforts were made to arrange a plea deal for him, and a generous sentence of only two years was reportedly offered, which he declined, in a maneuver said to be only another delaying tactic on his part. (Stanford himself received 110 years in Federal Prison) The failure of Antigua to extradite King, against whom extremely damaging testimony was given at the Allen Stanford trial, continues to negatively affect its relationship with the United States, as well as affecting Country Risk assessments on Antigua by the North American banking community.
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* Considering that King is known to be without income, employment or assets, and living a meager existence in Antigua, the question arises regarding who is paying for his bodyguards, and supporting him. He was seen, during the last National Election, disbursing bribes to voters, as part of an organized campaign of election fraud, in which he was an active participant.
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