Pedro Fort’s legal defense has unraveled, leaving him without counsel and facing serious accusations. Fort requested a court-appointed attorney on April 9, claiming his private lawyer had abandoned their case and that he could no longer afford legal fees. He asserted that proceeding without representation would violate his due process rights.
The court, however, found Fort’s claims unconvincing. His attorney had filed a motion to withdraw the preceding day, citing an inability to communicate with his client. This pattern of non-cooperation echoed a similar situation in May 2017, when another attorney withdrew from Fort's case within two weeks, describing him as "completely uncooperative."
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) countered Fort's assertion of financial hardship in a filing on April 12. Fort had stated his U.S. bank accounts were frozen, preventing him from hiring private counsel. The SEC revealed that Fort had preemptively moved his assets to at least three banks in the Commonwealth of Dominica before charges were filed. His American accounts were empty, not frozen.
An offshore freeze order is now in effect for Fort's assets in Dominica, secured by the SEC's foreign counsel. A court order prohibits him from disposing of any further assets in the region while the case progresses. Local investigators are continuing efforts to locate any additional hidden funds. Fort himself is believed to be in Colombia.
The defendant faces charges of defrauding investors out of $38 million. Roughly $24 million of these funds are unaccounted for. Fort’s failure to disclose his foreign asset holdings to the U.S. court is seen as a deliberate act.
The SEC argued that Fort’s history of non-cooperation, his complex offshore asset management, and the significant financial stakes involved made his case unsuitable for pro bono representation. The court ultimately agreed with the SEC’s assessment.
On April 20, the judge denied Fort's application for a state-appointed attorney. Fort now lacks legal representation and any further recourse regarding his defense costs. No new filings have been submitted since the court's decision. Continued obstruction, offshore asset transfers, and refusal to cooperate could lead to criminal indictments.