BOSTON – Charges were unsealed against 30 defendants in connection with a large-scale, decade-long insider trading scheme that netted tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits. The defendants, who include corporate attorneys and other financial professionals, are alleged to have stolen and used confidential information on nearly 30 merger and acquisition deals from several of the nation’s premier law firms, including a firm headquartered in Massachusetts.
According to a release from the Massachusetts Department of Justice, nineteen defendants were arrested and will make appearances in federal court in Los Angeles, Calif., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and New York, among other locations. Two defendants located in Russia and Israel are considered fugitives.
The first indictment charges the following 16 defendants with two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, two counts of securities fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy:…