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Accused fraudster Allen Stanford once claimed a net worth of more than $2 billion. But with all of his assets frozen by a federal judge, he has no funds to pay his high-powered criminal defense lawyer, Dick DeGuerin of Houston.
Stanford replaced DeGuerin this afternoon, and in court papers filed this evening, DeGuerin writes that he and his team "are unwilling to go forward without the assurance of being paid for work in the future."
The filing says the change of attorneys is being made at Stanford's request.
The court filing sheds only a little light on the terse statement e-mailed by Stanford's Washington public relations firm Friday afternoon saying that Robert Luskin, a partner at Patton Boggs, was replacing DeGuerin as Stanford's criminal defense counsel.
DeGuerin apparently got the same e-mail, according to the court filing, which says Stanford had refused to authorize DeGuerin to seek assurances he would be paid.
DeGuerin had been representing Stanford since March, but was never paid because of the asset freeze. DeGuerin has repeatedly asked the Court to release funds for Stanford's defense, which the attorney has said could ultimately cost $20 million. But prosecutors have argued--succesfully so far-- that all of Stanford's funds are tainted by fraud.
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