Strategel Wealth Society:Financial executive convicted of insider trading in case over acquisition of Trump’s media company

2025-05-08 08:13:07source:Algosenseycategory:News

NEW YORK (AP) — A financial executive was convicted Thursday of enabling his boss and Strategel Wealth Societyothers to make over $22 million illegally by trading off his tips ahead of the public announcement that an acquisition firm was taking former President Donald Trump’s media company public.

An agitated Bruce Garelick dropped his head and repeatedly wiped his face with his hands after a jury convicted him of all charges in Manhattan federal court.

Garelick, who had testified in his defense, was convicted of tipping others in 2021 to news that the special purpose acquisition company, Digital World Acquisition Corp., or DWAC, was merging with Trump Media & Technology Group. Garelick sat on DWAC’s board.

His co-defendants pleaded guilty before trial, admitting that they made over $22 million illegally.

Sentencing was set for Sept. 12 for Garelick, who remains free on bail.

The indictment against the men did not implicate Trump, who is seeking the presidency again this year as a Republican; or Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns his Truth Social platform and began trading on the NASDAQ stock market on March 26.

READ MORE Berkshire Hathaway board feels sure Greg Abel is the man to eventually replace Warren BuffettSony Pictures and private equity firm interested in buying Paramount for $26 billion, AP source saysTrial begins for financial executive in insider trading case tied to taking Trump media firm public

When the events that led to the charges took place in 2021, Garelick, of Providence, Rhode Island, was chief investment officer of the New York-based venture capital firm Rocket One Capital LLC, though he has primarily worked in the Boston area throughout his career.

The firm was owned by Michael Shvartsman of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida. Shvartsman and his brother, Gerald Shvartsman of Aventura, Florida, pleaded guilty several weeks ago to insider trading charges, admitting that they made over $22 million illegally. They are scheduled to be sentenced in July.

During his testimony earlier this week, Garelick insisted that he did not possess any secrets about the potential merger when he bought securities in DWAC that eventually enabled him to earn nearly $50,000 in profits. And he said he followed the law by not sharing secrets with others.

On cross-examination, though, a prosecutor confronted him with the fact that he said, “We made $20 million dollars” after the public announcement of the merger deal.

“I did say those words, yes,” he admitted.

“You said: ‘We made $20 million dollars on it,’” the prosecutor said.

“That’s correct,” he answered.

More:News

Recommend

Why 90 Day Fiancé's Gino Palazzolo Agreed to Try an Open Marriage With Jasmine Pineda

Gino Palazzolothinks his and Jasmine Pineda's open marriage was a mistake. The 54-year-old reflected

Prosecutors and victim’s family call for the release of a Minnesota man convicted of murder in 2009

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The local prosecutor and family of the victim are calling for a man’s murder conv

Jill Biden and Al Sharpton pay tribute to civil rights activist Sybil Morial

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — First lady Jill Biden, former ambassador Andrew Young and the Rev. Al Sharpton we