A trader who was charged with securities fraud has now been granted a $10 million bail after facing serious market manipulation allegations.
Ken Leech, a prominent bond trader and former co-chief investment officer at Western Asset Management Co. (WAMCO), has pleaded not guilty to multiple fraud charges during a federal court hearing in New York on Monday.
The 70-year-old trader faces serious allegations of manipulating trades to benefit select clients, steering over $600 million in gains to them while imposing losses on others, per Bloomberg.
Standing alongside his legal team, Leech entered his plea in front of U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods, maintaining his innocence against all charges brought by federal prosecutors.
This legal battle comes in the wake of a tumultuous year for WAMCO, which has seen a significant withdrawal of capital from its funds following the announcement of investigations by U.S. authorities into Leech’s trading practices.
So far, approximately $65 billion has been pulled from the firm, with more withdrawals anticipated.
Following the hearing, Leech opted not to comment as he made his way into a subway station near the courthouse.
During the proceedings, prosecutors indicated to Judge Woods that they do not expect to add any further charges or defendants to the case, suggesting a focused legal strategy moving forward.
Earlier on the same day, Magistrate Judge Katharine Parker granted Leech bail set at a staggering $10 million bond.
As part of his bail conditions, he surrendered his passport and is restricted to travel within the continental United States.
The allegations against Leech indicate a troubling pattern of behavior where he allegedly delayed assigning winning trades to client accounts that generated the most revenue for WAMCO over a three-year period ending in October 2023.
Investigators assert that this practice of “cherry-picking” trades was a direct response to his declining career performance, which had been plagued by poor investment decisions and adverse interest rate movements.
At the height of these issues, WAMCO’s flagship Macro Opportunities fund saw its assets under management plummet by 80%, dropping to less than $3 billion.
This decline was particularly damaging to Leech’s reputation, as he had long marketed the fund as showcasing WAMCO’s best investment ideas.
To mitigate the fallout from clients withdrawing funds, Leech allegedly manipulated the allocation of daily trades.
According to the government, he would place his trades and then wait several hours before assigning them to client portfolios, ensuring that the most profitable trades went to clients of the Macro Opportunities fund.
This practice reportedly came at the expense of other funds, such as Core and Core Plus, which were structured differently in terms of fees and generated less revenue for WAMCO.
Leech’s defense attorney, Jonathan Sack, has maintained that his client has a nearly flawless record spanning almost five decades in trading and portfolio management.
Sack has also stated that Leech did not personally benefit financially from the alleged misconduct. WAMCO, owned by Franklin Resources Inc., has expressed its cooperation with investigators, although the firm itself has not been accused of any wrongdoing.
This situation marks a significant turning point in Leech’s illustrious career, which began at WAMCO in 1990.
He became the firm’s CIO in 1998 and played a crucial role in establishing WAMCO as a powerhouse in fixed-income investments, known for his astute calls on interest rates and credit risk.
In October 2023, following internal concerns raised by an insider about irregularities in trade allocations, WAMCO began a thorough review of approximately 17,000 trades executed by Leech between 2021 and 2023.
This scrutiny has only intensified since the firm disclosed that it was under investigation by both the Justice Department and the SEC.
Leech took a leave of absence in August, just before the SEC indicated that he might face enforcement action.
Leech faces serious charges, including investment adviser fraud and securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
He is also charged with commodity trading adviser fraud and commodities fraud, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years, as well as making false statements, punishable by up to five years.
This case, identified as U.S. v. Leech, 24-cr-00658, is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan).
As the legal proceedings unfold, the financial industry watches closely, aware that the outcome may have significant implications for regulatory practices and investor confidence in the trading landscape.
Also Read: Investment Firm Now Files For Bankruptcy Amid Naked Short Selling Investigation
Other Regulatory News Today
An investment firm has now filed for bankruptcy amid a naked short selling investigation that resulted in the loss of more than $126 million.
Liquidators representing All Blue Investments North Star 1 Ltd. and All Blue Investment Management Ltd., companies based in Dubai and registered in the British Virgin Islands, have taken significant legal action by filing for Chapter 15 bankruptcy recognition in Miami.
This move comes as part of a broader investigation into potentially fraudulent activities that have raised serious concerns about financial misconduct.
The investigation reportedly involves two affiliates located in the Cayman Islands and centers around allegations of “improper naked short trades.”
These trading practices are typically viewed with skepticism, as they can lead to significant market distortions and financial losses.
In this case, the alleged misconduct has resulted in staggering losses amounting to approximately $126 million.
Chapter 15 bankruptcy is designed to address cross-border insolvencies and provide a legal framework for foreign companies to seek protection and manage their debts in U.S. courts.
By filing for this type of bankruptcy recognition, the liquidators aim to safeguard the interests of creditors and stakeholders involved in the All Blue Investments entities while navigating the complex landscape of international financial regulations.
The unfolding situation has drawn attention not only for the size of the alleged financial losses but also for the implications it carries for retail investors and the broader financial community.
As the investigation progresses, it is expected that more details will emerge regarding the nature of the trades and the specific roles played by the various entities involved.
Investors and market watchers are keenly observing how this situation will develop, particularly as it highlights the risks associated with complex financial instruments and the importance of regulatory oversight.
The fallout from such allegations could potentially impact broader market perceptions and lead to calls for stricter regulations to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
For example, retail investors within the ‘meme stock’ community have raised concerns to congress members and the SEC about these illegal short selling practices for years.
Firms such as Citadel and Virtu have been scrutinized for cheating the average investor.
Earlier this year, Truth Social, Trump’s social media site publicly scrutinized Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities for naked short selling the market.
“Rather than support our common sense efforts to promote transparency and compliance, Citadel Securities bizarrely targeted our CEO with an unhinged attack.
Here’s our response:
“Citadel Securities, a corporate behemoth that has been fined and censured for an incredibly wide range of offenses including issues related to naked short selling, and is world famous for screwing over everyday retail investors at the behest of other corporations, is the last company on earth that should lecture anyone on ‘integrity.’”
Naked short selling continues to be a massive problem in the United States.
Will retail investors finally begin to see fairer markets under this new administration?
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Also Read: Short Sellers Are Now Under Federal Investigation For Collusion
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