February 22, 2009

Houston Stockbroker Fraud Law Firm to Represent Stanford Bank Investors Living in Latin America

In the wake of the US Securities and Exchange Commission's accusations that R. Allen Stanford allegedly operated multibillion-dollar fraud scheme through Stanford Group. Co., Stanford investors in Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela have been contacting the Stanford International Bank’s affiliates in their countries in an attempt to close their accounts. Stanford has Latin American offices in Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Stanford and his cohorts are accused of selling securities worth $8 billion in certificates through a bank in Antigua.

Among the reactions from certain Stanford affiliates and Latin American governments:
Stanford Bank Venezuela SA, a separate bank that is commercially affiliated with Stanford Financial Group. Co, says it possesses enough liquidity to be in compliance with international and local standards. In Panama, the country’s banking authority says Stanford Bank of Panama SA had $41.8 million in capital in January 2009 (The Panamanian government, however, does not insure the deposits). In Bogota, the securities exchange says that stock transactions by the Stanford Financial Group’s brokerage unit In Columbia appeared to operating per usual last week. Unfortunately, however, thousands of Stanford clients in Latin America may be victims of this international, multibillion-dollar scam.

Venezuela, Peru, Panama, Ecuador, and Colombia have already taken steps against Stanford-owned companies in their countries to help investors. For example, the Venezuelan Finance Minister announced the decision to sell Stanford-owned companies. Meantime, the securities regulator in Peru suspended operations at the local Stanford Financial group office and promised to help secure investors’ funds. Ecuador suspended a Stanford affiliate until claims are resolved or for 30 days.

The Houston-based stockbroker fraud law firm of Shepherd, Smith, Edwards, & Kantas, LP represents investors from all over the world who have been victims of investment fraud. We are committed to representing victims of the $8 billion Stanford fraud scheme in cities throughout the United States and abroad. Rather than filing a class action lawsuit, we are choosing to handle each client's case on an individual basis—we believe this allows each client to recover more. Contact our Houston, Texas stockbroker fraud lawyers today.

Related Web Resources:
Latin America takes action over local Stanford companies, AFP, February 19, 2009

Stanford Bank’s Clients in Latin America Seek Funds, Bloomberg.com, February 17, 2009

Stanford Group Co.

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February 19, 2009

Multibillion-Dollar Stanford Securities Fraud Scam Has Investors Contacting Houston Stockbroker Fraud Lawyers for Help

The Securities and Exchange Commission is charging Robert Allen Stanford and three of his companies for their alleged involvement in a multibillion dollar investment fraud scheme. His companies that are named in the complaint include Stanford International Bank (SIB), Stanford Group Company (SGC), which is a Houston-based investment adviser and broker dealer, and Stanford Capital Management, which is based in Antigua. The SEC is asking for emergency relief for the investors that have been victimized by the alleged scheme.

The SEC complaint, filed in Dallas, Texas accuses Stanford and friends and family that he works with of orchestrating the investor scam. The SEC claims that SIB used SGC financial advisers to sell some $8 billion worth of “certificates of deposit” to investors with the promise they would receive high interest rates that were, in fact, unsubstantiated and improbable. The SEC says the defendants misrepresented these CD’s when they told investors that they were safe.

The SEC complaint also contends that another scam involving $1.2 billion in sales of Stanford Allocation Strategy (SAS), which is a proprietary mutual fund wrap program, involved the use of materially bogus historical performance information that helped SGC to grow the SAS program from under $10 million in 2004 to over $1 billion. In 2007 and 2008 , SGC earned fees of about $25 million as a result. The program’s bogus performance was used to bring in registered investment advisers with substantial books of business. These advisers were then provided with substantial incentives to transfer client assets to SIB’s CD program.

Following the SEC's request for relief, a US district court judge frozen the assets of the defendants, issued a temporary restraining order, and named a receiver to take charge of the assets.

Robert Allen Stanford is from Texas. His businesses have attracted a wide range of investors, including young businessmen, middle-class Americans, and retirees wanting to place their money in short-term CD’s in exchange for higher returns.

In Houston, Stanford investors are reacting to news of the alleged investment scam and hundreds of them have been reaching out to Stanford investment advisers to find out how to get their money back. “Many people automatically thought Stanford CD’s were insured,” says Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas, LLP Founder and Stockbroker Fraud Attorney William Shepherd. Now, however, there are reports this may not have been the case. The Texas securities fraud lawyer and his partners are being contacted by many Stanford investors who are worried about their money.

Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas, LLP is one of the largest securities fraud law firms in the United States that represents investors who wish to recover their investment losses. Over the last two decades, we have handled over a thousand cases against financial firms for our investors. We are currently at “ground zero” with this case.

SSEK Investment Fraud Attorney Shepherd says, "Class action cases seeking losses in investments have historically resulted in recovery of less than 10% of what the investor's lost." Our securities fraud law firm will handle each Stanford investor’s claim individually.

Related Web Resources:
SEC Charges R. Allen Stanford, Stanford International Bank for Multi-Billion Dollar Investment Scheme, SEC.gov, February 17, 2009

Read the SEC Complaint (PDF)

Stanford International Bank

Stanford Group Company

Stanford Capital Management