Court Roundup

New York 7 charged in $61M single-trade stock fraud case NEW YORK (AP) -- Prosecutors say seven people are charged in an insider trading scheme that netted more than $61.8 million in illegal profits based on trades of a single stock. Two New York hedge fund executives and a Massachusetts man were among four charged in a criminal complaint in federal court in Manhattan. Anthony Chiasson was among those charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud. He surrendered to the FBI Wednesday morning. He's a co-founder of former hedge fund group Level Global Investors LP. Jon Horvath was arrested at his New York City home. He's an employee of Sigma Capital Management, an affiliate of hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors in Manhattan. Also charged was Todd Newman. An FBI spokesman says he was arrested in Needham, Mass. Lawyers for the defendants couldn't immediately be reached for comment. New Jersey State fines Tropicana $27,500 for violations ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey casino regulators have fined the Tropicana Casino and Resort $27,500 for allowing a 14-year-old to gamble last summer, as well as violating the rules of a card game. The state Division of Gaming Enforcement, in rulings made public on Tuesday, fined the casino $17,500 in the underage gambling case, and another $10,000 for violating the rules of Spanish 21, a variation of blackjack. The boy, identified only as "CG," was spotted by investigators playing slots on Aug. 12 at 11:20 p.m. As they were watching him play, a casino security guard walked right past him and did nothing. "Due to CG's youthful appearance, the division investigators requested that he produce identification," Deputy Attorney General R. Lane Stebbins wrote in his complaint against the casino. "CG then admitted to the division investigators that he was 14 years of age." The boy was detained and turned over to his parents. It could not immediately be determined if the boy had accompanied his parents to the casino or if he was there alone. The complaint did not specify how much money the boy had won or lost. New Jersey law says patrons must be at least 21 years old to gamble at casinos in Atlantic City, the nation's second-biggest gambling market after Las Vegas. People under 21 can only be on the casino floor if they are walking through it on their way to another room where gambling is not taking place, such as a restaurant or concert hall. The casino also was fined for failing to remove all the "10" cards from decks used in Spanish 21 on June 7, which violated the rules of the game. According to the gaming enforcement division, a dealer conducted gambling with the decks including several "10" cards for four hours. Spanish 21 is a variant of blackjack that has several rule changes from the traditional game, including the removal of "10" cards. Bettors also have certain advantages, including always winning with a hand totaling 21, even if the dealer also has one. The casino declined to comment on the fines. Connecticut Judge rejects home invasion retrial request NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A judge has denied a request by convicted murderer Joshua Komisarjevsky (koh-mih-sar-JEV'-ski) for a new trial in the home invasion killings of a woman and her two daughters, saying he received a fair trial. New Haven Superior Court Judge Jon Blue on Wednesday denied motions for a new trial and that the conviction be overturned. Komisarjevsky joined co-defendant Steven Hayes on death row last month for the 2007 killings of Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters in Cheshire. He argued the proceedings should have been moved because of the case's notoriety in New Haven and the "emotional effect of a clearly visible Petit posse" at the trial advocating capital punishment. Blue said the victims' family behaved in a dignified manner and the jury was attentive and fair. Published: Thu, Jan 19, 2012