Mayor Of Small French Village Just About Ready To Let London Whale Underling Manage Town's Finances

Hundreds of miles from the bustling trading rooms where he worked with the "London Whale", a former JPMorgan trader has taken refuge in a French hamlet where few have heard of the $6.2 billion scandal to which he is being linked. U.S. authorities on Wednesday filed charges against Julien Grout for crimes related to the scandal, including wire fraud, conspiracy and the falsifying of books and records. But in sun-drenched Sarrazac, a village of two dozen stone houses built around a medieval church in southern France, the affair had barely registered before this week...."He has just arrived, he seems to be a very nice guy," said Sarrazac mayor Habib Fenni, who met Grout a day earlier and was not aware of JPMorgan's troubles or the role the French village's new resident is alleged to have played in them. Village restaurant owner Chantal Guerby, meanwhile, described Grout as "a nice guy who keeps himself to himself". [Reuters]