Gold9472
09-28-2006, 08:43 AM
Fugitive: Interpol arrests Jacob Alexander
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/28/content_5149944.htm
www.chinaview.cn (http://www.chinaview.cn/) 2006-09-28 16:59:00
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Securities fraud fugitive Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, former Comverse Technology Inc. chief executive officer, was arrested Wednesday in Namibia.
Alexander, 54, former Israeli intelligence officer turned high-technology entrepreneur, will be brought before a court in Windhoek within 48 hours, and the U.S. will seek his extradition, the Justice Department said.
Federal prosecutors charged Alexander on Aug. 9 with backdating stock options to boost the compensation of executives at New York-based Comverse, the world's largest maker of voicemail software.
"Alexander's alleged role in options backdating victimized Comverse shareholders and deceived prospective investors," Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said in a statement. "The fraud affected the company's bottom line by misstating earnings."
After Alexander was charged and fled the U.S. the FBI put his face on its Most Wanted list and Interpol initiated a global "red notice," asking police to arrest the former CEO. Prosecutors said today that Alexander isn't a U.S. citizen as the FBI stated in a press release after he was first charged.
Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for Mauskopf, said the former CEO, a citizen of Israel, is also a permanent resident of the U.S.
Alexander wired 57 million U.S, dollars to Israel in July from an account at Citigroup Inc.'s Smith Barney Unit, the U.S. government said, calling the transfer an effort to "launder the proceeds of the fraud." His assets in two Citigroup Smith Barney accounts were frozen July 31.
A 32-count indictment unsealed Wednesday by Garaufis in Brooklyn federal court charged Alexander with crimes relating to an alleged "slush fund" and the backdating of stock options from 1998 to 2006. He is charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, making false filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
If found guilty of the charges, Alexander may be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, according to Mauskopf's statement.
Alexander's attorney, Robert Morvillo, said he hasn't been in touch with his client since the government notified him of the arrest. He wouldn't say when he last had contact with Alexander.
The wizard of Israel's technology boom, Alexander was arrested by Interpol and local police on a Namibian warrant issued at the request of the U.S., said Ray Castillo, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Namibia.
Namibia amended its laws governing extradition effective Wednesday to allow the rendering of fugitives to the U.S., according to a letter from Mauskopf's office filed in Brooklyn federal court.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/28/content_5149944.htm
www.chinaview.cn (http://www.chinaview.cn/) 2006-09-28 16:59:00
BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Securities fraud fugitive Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, former Comverse Technology Inc. chief executive officer, was arrested Wednesday in Namibia.
Alexander, 54, former Israeli intelligence officer turned high-technology entrepreneur, will be brought before a court in Windhoek within 48 hours, and the U.S. will seek his extradition, the Justice Department said.
Federal prosecutors charged Alexander on Aug. 9 with backdating stock options to boost the compensation of executives at New York-based Comverse, the world's largest maker of voicemail software.
"Alexander's alleged role in options backdating victimized Comverse shareholders and deceived prospective investors," Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said in a statement. "The fraud affected the company's bottom line by misstating earnings."
After Alexander was charged and fled the U.S. the FBI put his face on its Most Wanted list and Interpol initiated a global "red notice," asking police to arrest the former CEO. Prosecutors said today that Alexander isn't a U.S. citizen as the FBI stated in a press release after he was first charged.
Robert Nardoza, a spokesman for Mauskopf, said the former CEO, a citizen of Israel, is also a permanent resident of the U.S.
Alexander wired 57 million U.S, dollars to Israel in July from an account at Citigroup Inc.'s Smith Barney Unit, the U.S. government said, calling the transfer an effort to "launder the proceeds of the fraud." His assets in two Citigroup Smith Barney accounts were frozen July 31.
A 32-count indictment unsealed Wednesday by Garaufis in Brooklyn federal court charged Alexander with crimes relating to an alleged "slush fund" and the backdating of stock options from 1998 to 2006. He is charged with conspiracy, securities fraud, making false filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
If found guilty of the charges, Alexander may be sentenced to up to 25 years in prison, according to Mauskopf's statement.
Alexander's attorney, Robert Morvillo, said he hasn't been in touch with his client since the government notified him of the arrest. He wouldn't say when he last had contact with Alexander.
The wizard of Israel's technology boom, Alexander was arrested by Interpol and local police on a Namibian warrant issued at the request of the U.S., said Ray Castillo, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Namibia.
Namibia amended its laws governing extradition effective Wednesday to allow the rendering of fugitives to the U.S., according to a letter from Mauskopf's office filed in Brooklyn federal court.