September 17, 2008

The Fairborn News-Packet
by Walker Mann, business desk

Sir Ralph Finley, the financier facing SEC fraud charges for an alleged multi-billion dollar ponzi scheme that bilked hundreds of wealthy clients, seemed unfazed by his legal troubles during a brief appearance at a silent auction to benefit St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. Finley, who maintains an address in the Grassy Elms gated community, bid on a signed jersey from football legend Earle Moore. Finley dropped out of bidding, ceding the piece of memorabilia to Philip Lucht, COO of the Bargainville retail chain.

In a brief comment to reporters, Finley repeated his confident assurance that he would be vindicated on all charges. In response to allegations that his Finley Financial Management was involved in money laundering for Mexican and Colombian drug cartels, Finley bristled: “My policy is to never dignify crap like that with a response of any kind.” Asked if he intended to spend more time at his Fairborn home now that he was forbidden to leave the country for his palatial estate in Antigua, Finley replied, “I haven’t even got water in my pool yet.”

Finley, a native of Connecticut, was the first American to be granted a knighthood by the island of Antigua. He encourages use of the honorific.