Roy P. M. Carlson was a [[Bank of America]] executive who orchestrated Bank of America's original investment in [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International|BCCI]].[^1] He later became the head of [[National Bank of Georgia]] at the request of [[Ghaith Pharaon]].[^1] ### Early Career and BCCI Involvement Carlson was a key figure in the early relationship between Bank of America and BCCI. He had entertained [[Agha Hasan Abedi]] when Abedi came to the United States to negotiate Bank of America's 30-percent share in the new bank in 1972, and the two became friends.[^2] Carlson later left Bank of America in 1975 to become president of [[Rahim Irvani]]'s Melli Group in [[Iran]].[^2] He was also a partner in former [[CIA]] Director [[Richard Helms]]'s consulting firm, Safeer.[^2] ### Role at National Bank of Georgia Carlson was appointed head of the [[National Bank of Georgia]] by Abedi and Pharaon, who sought to reconfigure the bank along BCCI's lines.[^2] Under Carlson's guidance, the bank's assets quadrupled from $400 million to $1.6 billion. The National Bank of Georgia became a clearinghouse for BCCI funds in the United States, a destination for BCCI letters of credit, and a provider of loans and services to BCCI's international clientele.[^2] Carlson played a role in the acquisition of [[Financial General Bankshares]], negotiating the purchase for First American Bank.[^2] ## Footnotes [^1]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 9. [^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, pp. 210-14.