If accused Ponzi schemer Allen Stanford is not released from the big house on bail, it's very likely that he will go batshit insane, according to a prison psychologist. This is sad for a couple of reasons: 1) it sounds like he really might be losing it and should be let out and 2) no more prison yard brawls for us.
A psychiatrist who examined R. Allen Stanford believes he is in danger of suffering "a complete nervous breakdown" if he is not released from prison on bail and allowed to properly prepare for his scheduled criminal trial, according to court documents.
In documents asking that the jailed businessman be released on bail, attorneys argue Stanford's deteriorating mental and physical health, combined with the difficulty of seeing his attorneys while at the downtown Houston Federal Detention Center, make it impossible for him to properly prepare for trial.
The court documents include letters from more than two dozen family and friends who say Stanford would not flee if released. "I can guarantee you that my dad will go nowhere if released on bail," one of his sons wrote. "He knows that running would get him nowhere, it would only make things worse."
The physical and mental strains of imprisonment have taken a heavy toll on Stanford, according to court filings: He has lost 40 pounds in the last 90 days, and has been prescribed medications for elevated and irregular heartbeats, ulcers and depression.
