Valhalla

Nearly two years after Kevin Cassidy, former CEO of Valhalla, NY-based brokerage firm Optionable Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a 2003-2007 natural gas commodities trading scandal at Bank of Montreal (BMO), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Thursday reported that it has obtained a federal court order requiring Cassidy to pay a $1 million civil monetary penalty for violating the anti-fraud provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations.

Kevin Cassidy, former CEO of Valhalla, NY-based brokerage firm Optionable Inc., has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a 2003-2007 commodities trading scandal at Bank of Montreal (BMO). Cassidy was among the Optionable and BMO employees who were charged by federal and state authorities in 2008 for deceiving and defrauding the bank about the true value of its natural gas options book (see NGI, Nov. 24, 2008). A multi-count indictment charged Cassidy with criminal counts of wire fraud, making false statements to a bank, making false and misleading statements to the Securities and Exchange Commission and securities fraud. Under terms of the plea agreement, Cassidy would serve 30-37 months in prison. Cassidy also agreed to forfeit illegally obtained profit from the deal and could be fined. He is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 15 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Kevin Cassidy, former CEO of Valhalla, NY-based brokerage firm Optionable Inc., pleaded guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with a 2003-2007 commodities trading scandal at Bank of Montreal (BMO).

Valhalla, NY-based Optionable Inc. continued to feel the backlash Monday more than two weeks after the energy options broker’s largest customer, Bank of Montreal (BMO), revealed a $400 million-plus trading loss (see Daily GPI, April 30). On Monday, Optionable, which has seen a 91% drop in share value since BMO’s loss announcement April 27, reported that Kevin Cassidy, vice chairman, CEO and director of the company, resigned Saturday. That news was followed by the New York Mercantile Exchange (Nymex) resigning board representation.