A Florida judge has ordered an April trial for accused Jamaican Ponzi schemer and former head of OLINT, David A. Smith.
Judge Mary Scriven this week ruled that Smith`s trial will commence sometime after April 4th.
The government and Smith`s attorneys last week agreed to the speedy trial date after a meeting of the two sides. Both parties agreed that the entire
trial will take approximately nine days with the government`s case concluding in five days.
Smith was charged on Aug. 18th in U.S. District Court in Florida with fraud and money laundering in a $200 million Ponzi scheme he allegedly
operated from the Turks and Caicos Islands, Jamaica and Florida.
He waived his right to be indicted by a grand jury, allowing the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida in Orlando to charge him with
four counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and 18 counts of money laundering.
The government also seeks to seize $128 million that Smith handled through allegedly fraudulent wire transfers; a Windermere, Fla., residence;
various jewelry and precious stones; and $40,000 that Smith transferred to a husband and wife, according to court documents.
Smith was on September 23rd convicted on fraud charges in the Turks and Caicos Islands but was last month extradited to the U.S. to face fraud
charges here. He remains in a Florida jail. Special agents from the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Homeland Security Investigations picked up Smith from Grand Turk on Nov. 18 and flew him to
Orlando. There he appeared in U.S. District Court on November 19 to face a 23 count information lodged against him on 18th August. Smith had waived
being indicted on the charges and willingly went to the United States to face them.
At his arraignment, he pleaded not guilty.
