If everyone at the firm was doing it, I'd be using that to my advantage as I speak to the prosecutors in the case.Quote from olias:
Also, it's not hard for me to imagine if I had been at that firm and everyone is telling me 'this is the kind of thing that happens all the time', ''everybody's doing it'...I might be tempted to do the same thing. I really don't know.
OP, good topic for discussion. thanks
I have zero sympathy for this guy. It should have been immediately obvious to everyone involved that this was illegal activity. The idea of a small financial penalty is ludicrous... otherwise, everyone should just try it, since the probability of being caught is substantially less than 25%.
Insider trading *should* be the third-rail of American business: if you do it, your (professional) life is over. It should be treated just like embezzlement or any other type of work-related fraud. This is not a victim-less crime.... everyone else trading in these stocks (as well as the company and every other employee) is being victimized when insider trading occurs.
And yes, probably other people should be prosecuted just as heavily... doesn't mean this guy should be given a free pass.