Antigua laid to rest Leroy King, the former head of its Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC), in a funeral service at the Bible Speaks Seventh-day Adventist Church on Thursday. King passed away earlier this month at 80 years of age while detained in the United States, though the precise details surrounding his death remain undisclosed by authorities.
The ceremony drew high-profile political figures, including Prime Minister Gaston Browne and multiple members of his cabinet—Health Minister Molwyn Joseph, Foreign Affairs Minister Chet Greene, Information Minister Melford Nicholas, and Tourism Minister Charles Fernandez. The service was broadcast live online, allowing a broader audience to witness the proceedings.
Minister Melford Nicholas eulogized King for his exceptional organizational skills and lasting impact within the St John’s City East constituency, crediting his strategic insight as instrumental to the Antigua Labour Party’s political revival. Foreign Minister Chet Greene recounted King’s upbringing in St John’s, his education at Iona College in New York, and his professional journey through banking and public governance. Greene also emphasized King’s contributions to national development initiatives and his devout involvement in the Adventist church after being baptized in 2012.
Nonetheless, King’s professional history was marred by legal controversy. He was convicted in the U.S. for impeding the investigation into Allen Stanford’s massive $7 billion Ponzi scheme. During his tenure at the FSRC, King admitted to accepting bribes in exchange for protecting Stanford’s bank from regulatory oversight. After years of fighting extradition, he was ultimately transferred to U.S. custody in 2019, becoming the last individual sentenced in the extensive fraud case. Stanford himself is serving a lengthy prison term, along with several accomplices.