Jail Time ‘n Joke Time

brianhuntermaybe.jpgSteven J. Karavellas, a former director of the New York Mercantile Exchange, pleaded guilty this afternoon to commodities fraud and tampering with evidence. For his role in illegal trading in natural-gas markets between September 2002 and May 2003, in a scheme that defrauded at least one individual investor, Karavellas will pay a $850,000 fine and go to jail for five months. RE the “Brian Hunter” picture: I don’t think there’s even a tenuous link here, ‘cept that they were both natural gas traders. I just love that fish. And Blarney’s gone and I can do whatever I want. While we’re on the subject, I need to hit a quota of Ron jokes for the day/week/month he’s away, and at the time will be officially taking submissions from the field.
7 Charged in NY Mercantile Probe [AP]

Comments (21)

  1. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:13 PM

    did EP give up or something? Not a single post today.

  2. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:14 PM

    Dead fish and ‘natural’ gas. Two things that *still* don’t stink as much as Wall Street.
    Harvey Johnson

  3. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:18 PM

    Nymex natural gas floor traders cheat ?!?!
    -The Forehead Slapper

  4. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:19 PM

    ep might be enjoying some of her vacation instead of posting db

  5. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:23 PM

    I knew it i KNEW shawn farney was the one stifling the pictoral creativity around here!

  6. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:26 PM

    Don Smarmy?

  7. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 2:31 PM

    A natural gas floor trader is working late in his office doing Mark Fisher math one night when the Devil appears before him and says, “I know you fantasize about being the biggest, baddest natural gas futures trader ever known. I can give you that power and prestige. All you have to do right now is sign over to me the souls of your wife and your children…..” The natural gas trader looks at Satan warily and says, “Oh yeah? Come on now. What’s the catch?”

  8. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 3:30 PM

    i hear that Eric Bolling, the guy from fast money, is the next one to be taken away in cuffs.

  9. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 4:24 PM

    @3:30 Bolling hasn’t been on FM in months. He’s now on Fox.

  10. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 4:33 PM

    @3:34
    Since you obviously know so much about Bolling can you enlighten us as to why he will soon be hauled away in handcuffs?

  11. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 4:34 PM

    same felon, different channel

  12. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 4:57 PM

    @4:33 you mean front running is against the rules…..sorry, RIP all floor traders, your value since the internet was invented is

  13. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:00 PM

    is the infamous BH fish (see BC) picture from a GS boondoggle?

  14. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:06 PM

    @4:57
    I assume you have proof of this otherwise you wouldn’t be making these allegations. Don’t misunderstand me, I agree with your comment about the internet and floor brokers having no value but that’s different than accusing someone of front running. Couldn’t the same allegation be made about just about every firm on the street? If you think floor brokers front run I assume you think GS, LEH, MS and the others engage in this tactic as well?

  15. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:07 PM

    RIP floor traders? Maybe not. See NY Times op ed (was it this AM? – seems like ages ago, but its been that kind of day) piece on pit signals/open outcry at Chi Merc. They can signal faster than you can type or write.

  16. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:11 PM

    @5:07 no they can’t

  17. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:11 PM

    @5:07 here again. Hey DB, thought that OpEd on open outcry would be commented on. Don’t you guys read the Times? Its like last week when it took you like 14 hours to notice the Barron’s article on Greenspan’s hastily written master’s thesis. Jeez…

  18. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:16 PM

    @5:06 sorry, (and I realy reserve this for special occasions), “deutschbag” but I don’t need without a reasonable doubt proof to make “allegations” on an internet message board, if you don’t think everyone from the pit to your helpful marketer at GS or the private bank in CH doesn’t front run then……..you proably live in ohio

  19. Posted by guest | April 8, 2008 at 5:17 PM

    0.01 checks on the way

  20. Posted by guest | April 9, 2008 at 9:19 AM

    we’ll see where this all shakes out. no way this guy Kavellas plead so quickly without the prospect of being able to indict others. the choir boys on the floor of the nymex are saying RBI, surf, trot, and mbf are next.

  21. Posted by guest | April 9, 2008 at 9:25 AM

    maybe kavellas quick plea was because he did name names and explain it all….

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