Former Antigua regulator Leroy King laid to rest following death in US custody

Former Chief Executive Officer of Antigua and Barbuda’s Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), Leroy King, was laid to rest on Thursday at the Bible Speaks Seventh-day Adventist Church. King died in early November at the age of 80 while in U.S. custody, though the circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly clarified.

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Prime Minister Gaston Browne attended the funeral service alongside several Cabinet ministers, including Health Minister Molwyn Joseph, Foreign Affairs Minister Chet Greene, Information Minister Melford Nicholas, and Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez. The service was streamed online.

During tributes, Information Minister Nicholas highlighted King’s organisational abilities and political influence, particularly in the St. John’s City East constituency. He described King as meticulous and credited his guidance as playing a significant role in the resurgence of the Antigua Labour Party.

Foreign Affairs Minister Greene reflected on King’s early life in St. John’s, his studies at Iona College in New York, and his career in banking and public service. He also noted King’s involvement in key national projects and his active participation in the Seventh-day Adventist Church following his baptism in 2012.

King’s public service career, however, was overshadowed by his role in the Allen Stanford financial scandal. As head of the FSRC beginning in 2002, King admitted to helping shield Stanford International Bank from scrutiny while accepting bribes in return. Prosecutors said he received more than US$520,000 in bribes, gifts, and travel benefits.

King was extradited to the United States in 2019 after nearly a decade of resisting extradition requests and later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. He became the final defendant to face sentencing in the case.

Stanford was convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 110 years in prison for orchestrating a US$7 billion Ponzi scheme. Several of his associates also received prison sentences ranging from three to 20 years.

Authorities confirmed that King died during his incarceration, though it remains unclear whether his death occurred in prison or at a hospital.