NEW YORK, Sept. 21 (UPI) -- An assistant to a top executive at the Walt Disney Co. pleaded guilty in federal court in New York Tuesday to taking part in an insider trading scheme.
Bonnie J. Hoxie admitted she obtained confidential inside information, including about Disney's quarterly earnings, and, with a co-conspirator, attempted to sell the information to buyers looking to trade on it, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a release.
Hoxie, 34, of Los Angeles, a secretary to Disney's head of corporate communications, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. She faces as much as 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when she is sentenced Dec. 21.
Authorities alleged Hoxie took the information she obtained and passed it on to Yonni Sebbag, also known as Jonathan Cyprus, for the purpose of selling the information to outside investors for trading purposes in advance of the official public announcement of Disney's earnings on May 11.
