18 Facts About Laura Pendergest-Holt

Laura Pendergest-Holt was born on July 23,1973 and is a convicted Ponzi scheme perpetrator, financier, and former chief investment officer of Stanford Financial Group, who was charged with a civil charge of fraud on February 17,2009.

In early 2009, Stanford Financial became the subject of several fraud investigations, and on February 17,2009, Laura Pendergest-Holt was charged by the US Securities and Exchange Commission with fraud and multiple violations of US securities laws for alleged "massive ongoing fraud" involving $8 billion in certificates of deposit.

Laura Pendergest-Holt is still in operation but under the management of a receiver.

On February 27,2009, Laura Pendergest-Holt was arrested by federal agents in connection with the alleged fraud.

The FBI alleges that Laura Pendergest-Holt met with several Stanford corporate officers in Miami in February 2009 to prepare for her testimony with the SEC.

The FBI complaint alleges that when Laura Pendergest-Holt met with SEC investigators she made:.

Laura Pendergest-Holt allegedly misrepresented her own preparatory work for the testimony, saying she had met with no one other than the attorney as she worked to ready herself for the session with the SEC.

Zarich has said he was trained by Laura Pendergest-Holt to deflect questions about the investment strategy while pitching to wealthy clients in Antigua, where the bank was chartered.

On May 12,2009, Laura Pendergest-Holt was indicted by a Houston federal grand jury on two counts of obstructing a fraud investigation and conspiracy to obstruct justice.

On June 21,2012, Laura Pendergest-Holt pleaded guilty before federal judge David Hittner to obstructing the SEC's investigation into the Stanford operation.

Laura Pendergest-Holt admitted that despite knowing that she was incapable of testifying about the vast majority of that portfolio, she agreed to testify before the SEC.

Laura Pendergest-Holt acknowledged that her eventual appearance and sworn testimony before the SEC was a stall tactic designed to frustrate the SEC's efforts to obtain important information about SIB's investment portfolio, and that it was an intentional effort to impede the SEC's investigation and help SIB continue operating.

Laura Pendergest-Holt asked Hittner for permission to self-report to prison in a month so she could arrange for her daughter's care.

Laura Pendergest-Holt has a family home in Baldwyn, Mississippi with her husband, Jim Holt; they have one daughter.

Laura Pendergest-Holt attended Baldwyn High School in Baldwyn, Mississippi University for Women, and the University of Mississippi.

Laura Pendergest-Holt first met James Davis at the First Baptist Church in Baldwyn.

Laura Pendergest-Holt has a sister married to Ken Weeden, Stanford Financial Group's former managing director for investments and research.

Laura Pendergest-Holt's cousin Heather Sheppard was an "equity specialist" at the company and was James Davis's secretary and lover.