New York.- A New York hedge fund manager who admitted defrauding investors out of millions, but then fled the U.S. to Greece, was re-arrested and charged Tuesday, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals service said. The criminal charges against Angelo Haligiannis were filed by Greek authorities and are separate from those filed in New York, the spokesman said. Haligiannis was arrested outside Athens on charges of money laundering and fraud charges. Haligiannis cut his ankle bracelet and fled New York in January 2006 after having been convicted of masterminding a Ponzi scheme. He was free on bail awaiting sentencing when he fled the country. In August, one of Haligiannis’ fraud victims spotted him in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Crete and called local police. But Greek authorities let Haligiannis go, stating Greek citizens cannot be extradited to the U.S. for white-collar crimes.
Authorities there ordered him to stay in the country as they reviewed the case and the U.S. extradition request. Greek authorities apparently re-arrested Haligiannis after a victim from Greece filed a fraud complaint there. A spokeswoman for the Greek Consulate in New York said she was unaware of any new charges being filed in Greece against Haligiannis at this time. She said she would seek an update from the justice ministry there. Haligiannis is the former president of a company called Sterling Watters Capital. He was accused of defrauding investors of more than $78 million. The fugitive hedge fund millionaire had been the subject of a two-year international manhunt.
Leave a Reply