Countrywide magnate pays $67 million – Angelo R. Mozilo former CEO pays to settle civil fraud case brought by SEC
Gretchen Morgenson of the NY Times reports on October 16, 2010:
"…the settlement by Mr. Mozilo is the fist time that a prominent executive has been penalized personally for financial excesses linked to a mortgage boom that, when it went bust, threatened to topple the economy and led to an unprescedented wave of foreclosures."
"Earlier this year, Goldman Sachs paid a $550 million fine to setle securities fraud charges. Securities regulators are also investigating former senior executives at Merrill Lynch for possible securities fraud."
The SEC sued Mr. Mozilo alleging that he improperly generated profits on insider stock sales, and that he allowed "toxic" loan products to move forward, knowing them to be toxic.
Countrywide (acquired by Bank of America) is to pay $20 million of Mr. Mozilo’s settlement. Mr. Mozilo has also agreed to never again serve in a public company. (Note: Big fat deal – he is 71 years old and recorded gains on stock sales of over $140 million on Countrywide stock and for years was among the highest-paid executives in America – and was known as an audacious and flamboyant financier)
The settlement was reached four days before the scheduled beginning of a jury trial in Los Angeles.
Other Countrywide employees sued by the SEC (and whom settled) were David Sambol (former Countrywide president, paying 5.52 million) and Eric Sieracki (former Countrywide chief financial officer, paying $130,000).
