 On June 25, 2009, he appeared in a Houston court and pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, conspiracy, and obstruction.On August 27, 2009, Stanford was admitted into the Conroe, Texas, Regional Medical Center.He had complained of a racing heart while being transported from the private prison in Huntsville, Texas, to the Federal Courthouse in Houston to attend a hearing concerning his attorney, Dick DeGuerin, who had asked the court for permission to withdraw from Stanford's case.