Allen Stanford

Robert Allen Stanford (born March 24, 1950) is an American-Antiguan convicted financial fraudster, former financier, and sponsor of professional sports. He was convicted of fraud in 2012 for operating a massive Ponzi scheme, and is serving a 110-year federal prison sentence. Stanford was the chairman of the now-defunct Stanford Financial Group of Companies. A fifth-generation Texan who once resided in Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, he holds dual citizenship in Antigua and Barbuda and the United States. He contributed millions of dollars to politicians in Antigua and the United States, amongst other countries. In early 2009, Stanford became the subject of several fraud investigations, and on February 17, 2009, was charged by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with fraud and multiple violations of U.S. securities laws for alleged "massive ongoing fraud" involving $7 billion in certificates of deposits. The Federal Bureau of Investigation raided Stanford's offices in Houston, Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and Tupelo, Mississippi. On February 27, 2009, the SEC amended its complaint to describe the alleged fraud as a "massive Ponzi scheme". He voluntarily surrendered to authorities on June 18, 2009. On March 6, 2012, Stanford was convicted on all charges except one count of wire fraud. He is serving a 110-year sentence at United States Penitentiary, Coleman II in Coleman, Florida. In September 2014, Stanford filed an appeal; it was rejected in October 2015.