May 20, 2020
A New York federal judge granted compassionate release over COVID-19 concerns to an asthmatic French jeweler who traded on an inside tip from former Standard & Poor's analyst Sebastian Pinto-Thomaz, reversing an earlier decision denying the jeweler's request.
April 14, 2020
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff said Monday that he would not grant a former Standard & Poor's analyst and a French jeweler, each convicted of insider trading, early release from prison over concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 11, 2019
U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff allowed Manhattan hairdresser Abell Oujaddou to avoid prison for insider trading Friday, citing his remorse and cooperation with prosecutors, but smacked the wealthy business owner with a $500,000 fine for a crime of "sheer greed."
July 30, 2019
A French jeweler who traded on an inside tip from former Standard & Poor's analyst Sebastian Pinto-Thomaz was sentenced to five months in prison Tuesday by Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who rejected his bid for no prison in part because he later took a second tip.
July 29, 2019
Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff hit former Standard & Poor's analyst Sebastian Pinto-Thomaz with 14 months in prison Monday for feeding merger tips to two family friends, calling prison "the only meaningful deterrent" to stop other would-be stock-market cheats.
July 23, 2019
Prosecutors want a former S&P credit ratings analyst behind bars for at least 41 months over insider stock tips linked to an $11 billion Sherwin-Williams acquisition, telling a New York federal judge on Monday the ex-Wall Street worker was once unrepentant and tried to trade on inside information again after thinking he was home free.
April 26, 2019
So much for blaming mom. A Manhattan federal jury needed just over two hours Friday to find former Standard & Poor's analyst Sebastian Pinto-Thomaz guilty of leaking secrets to friends about an $11 billion merger, rejecting his argument that his mom spilled the beans.
April 25, 2019
Counsel for ex-Standard & Poor's analyst Sebastian Pinto-Thomaz told a Manhattan jury Thursday his mother blabbed about a secret merger to family friends, but prosecutors called that a "fairy tale" complete with an evil mom character.
April 24, 2019
The former Standard & Poor's analyst who blames his mom for telling friends about a secret 2016 merger can't call another mom to testify at his insider trading trial, U.S. District Judge S. Rakoff ruled Wednesday.
April 16, 2019
Federal prosecutors walked away Tuesday from a time-honored tactic of telling jurors that the stock market should be a "level playing field," after Manhattan U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff agreed with counsel for a former analyst on trial for insider trading that such language isn't grounded in reality.