[Infowarrior] - FBI Raids Two Hedge Funds Amid Insider-Trading Case

[Richard Forno]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630693960704872.html

NOVEMBER 22, 2010, 12:59 P.M. ET
FBI Raids Two Hedge Funds Amid Insider-Trading Case


By SUSAN PULLIAM, JENNY STRASBURG And MICHAEL ROTHFELD

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents raided the Connecticut offices of hedge funds Diamondback Capital Management LLC and Level Global Investors LP amid a far-reaching insider-trading investigation.

"The FBI is executing court-authorized search warrants in an ongoing investigation," said Richard Kolko, an FBI spokesman, who declined to comment further.

Both hedge funds are run by former managers of Steve Cohen's SAC Capital Advisors. Level Global Investors LP is a Greenwich, Conn., hedge-fund firm run by David Ganek, a former SAC Capital trader and art collector.  He started Level Global in 2003 and earlier this year reported managing about $4 billion in assets.

Diamondback Capital Management LLC is based in Stamford, Conn., and was started in 2005. It oversees more than $5 billion in assets, according to SEC filings.

The move by the FBI follows an article by The Wall Street Journal describing an insider-trading investigation that is expected to encompass consultants, investment bankers, hedge-fund and mutual-fund traders. The investigation is said by people close to the situation to eclipse in size and magnitude past insider-trading probes.

Messages left with Richard Schimel, Diamondback's co-chief investment officer, and Diamondback's general counsel, Joel Harary, on their office phones weren't immediately returned.

A spokesman for Level Global said, "We can confirm that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigations visited our offices this morning as part of what we believe to be a broader investigation of the financial services industry discussed in media reports over the weekend. We are cooperating fully with the authorities and, at the same time, we are fully operational and continue to work diligently for the benefit of our investors."

Write to Susan Pulliam at susan.pulliam at wsj.com and Jenny Strasburg at jenny.strasburg at wsj.com