New York (HedgeCo.net) – Former IBM vice president Robert Moffat was sentenced to six months in prison in the Rajaratnam/Chiesi hedge fund insider trading case, the Courthouse News Services reported this morning. Judge Deborah Batts additionally fined Moffat $50,000.

“White-collar crime is just as destructive to our social fabric as the crimes of drugs and violence,” the Judge said in handing down the sentence. Moffat’s conspiracy count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. His securities fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $5 million.

Moffat pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and securities fraud stemming from his involvement in the largest US hedge fund insider trading case in history.

The court documents reveal that in September 2008, Moffat provided Chiesi with insider information in August to October 2008, relating to IBM and Lenovo Group Ltd.

Moffat confessed to providing the insider information to to Danielle Chiesi, Rajaratnam’s co-defendant. She worked for New Castle Partners, an equity hedge fund group affiliated with JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Moffat said he did not use the information to make money, but that he passed it along to Chiesi through “misplaced trust” and “a misguided desire to appear important and knowledgeable.” the Courthouse News Services said.

Chiesi, along with Sri Lankan billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, are scheduled for trial in 2011.

Alex Akesson
Editor for HedgeCo.net
alex@hedgeco.net
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