Billionaire businessman R Allen Stanford and the top bank regulator in Antigua took a blood oath in 2003, a court plea agreement in Houston says.

The Serious Fraud Office in Britain said it had frozen the assets of accused Texas billionaire Allen Stanford at the request of US authorities.

Texas businessman R.

Advertising Stanford Financial Group as the source of furniture in a Florida liquidation sale gave the sale added appeal, business owner Micheal Grimme said. Grimme, who runs AMC Liquidators, generally keeps quiet about the source of the company's sale items, The Miami Herald reported Wednesday.

Texas financier R.