Cricket tycoon Stanford files 7.2 billion dollar lawsuit against US prosecutors, SEC
February 19th, 2011 - 12:33 pm ICT by ANIHouston, Feb 19(ANI): Texas billionaire and cricket tycoon R. Allen Stanford, accused of fleecing investors out of seven billion dollars in a pyramid Ponzi scheme, has filed a counter lawsuit against U.S. prosecutors seeking 7.2 billion dollars in damages.
According to the Daily Mail, Stanford filed the lawsuit on Wednesday claiming that U.S. prosecutors ‘undertook illegal tactics’ in their investigation.
He contends that the federal government has used over 51 million dollars of his assets to pursue the cases against him, and violated his constitutional rights.
Stanford argues that they began the civil enforcement action solely to gather evidence for his criminal prosecution and prevented him from using his money to pay for his defense.
“Stanford is entitled to fair compensation for all property and assets taken,” Stanford’s lawyer, Stephen R. Cochell, said.
Many of Stanford’s assets and holdings have been liquidated by a Dallas federal court-appointed receiver in the Securities and Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) case.
The 60-year-old and three ex-executives of his now-defunct Houston-based Stanford Financial Group are accused of orchestrating a colossal pyramid scheme in 2009 by advising clients from 113 countries to invest over seven billion dollars in certificates of deposit at the Stanford International Bank on the island of Antigua, promising huge returns.
However, Stanford’s attorneys have denied the allegations against him, saying that he ran a legitimate business and did not misuse bank funds to pay for a lavish lifestyle.
He has been in custody since June 2009, when he surrendered to the US authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
He faces up to 375 years in jail if convicted. (ANI)
- Cricket tycoon Stanford's fraud case delayed over mental incompetence to face trial - Jan 08, 2011
- US court finds 'mentally impaired' Stanford 'incompetent' to face trial in fraud case - Jan 27, 2011
- Sir Garfield Sobers backs beleaguered cricket mogul Stanford - Dec 18, 2009
- Cricket moghul Stanford hospitalized after prison fight with fellow inmate - Sep 26, 2009
- Trustee charges HSBC with funnelling disgraced Ponzi King Madoff's massive fraud - Dec 06, 2010
- Cricket mogul Stanford to be stripped of knighthood over Ponzi scam - Nov 03, 2009
- Bernie Madoff Accomplice Sonja Kohn Outed - Dec 11, 2010
- `I would die and go to hell if it's a Ponzi scheme,' says Texan cricket moghul Stanford - Apr 07, 2009
- US suspected Allen Stanford's 'Ponzi schemes' long before ECB deal: WikiLeaks - Dec 21, 2010
- Banks, hedge funds were somehow "complicit" in massive Ponzi scheme, says Madoff - Feb 16, 2011
- Bernard Madoff's Beneficiary Jeffry M. Picower's Estate To Return $7.2 Billion - Dec 18, 2010
- ECB faces legal threat over ill-gotten' Stanford gains - Feb 03, 2011
- Cricket billionaire Stanford charged with 21 criminal offences in 'Ponzi' scam - Jun 20, 2009
- Indian man faces deportation from Britain - Mar 09, 2012
- Libya rejected offers to invest with Bernie Madoff, Allen Stanford: WikiLeaks - Feb 24, 2011
Tags: billion dollars, c case, certificates of deposit, cochell, constitutional rights, criminal prosecution, daily mail, dollar lawsuit, financial group, illegal tactics, lavish lifestyle, legitimate business, ponzi scheme, prosecutors, pyramid scheme, r allen, securities and exchange commission, stanford financial, texas billionaire, tycoon