HOUSTON (AP) — A jury has been chosen in the trial of jailed Texas financier R. Allen Stanford, who is accused of bilking investors out of $7 billion in a massive Ponzi scheme.
The panel of 12 jurors and three alternates was chosen Tuesday in Houston federal court.
Prosecutors were to begin presenting their case against Stanford after opening statements, which are set for later Tuesday afternoon.
Prosecutors say Stanford built an empire of banks and businesses in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean by operating a Ponzi scheme that centered on sales of certificates of deposit from an Antiguan bank he owned.
Stanford denies any wrongdoing and says his businesses were legitimate.
He's charged with 14 counts, including mail and wire fraud, and could face up to 20 years if convicted.
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