Feds' insider trade bomb

The feds are drawing up insider trader charges that could shake the financial industry like never before, according to a published report.

Federal prosecutors in New York, the FBI and Securities and Exchange Commission have conducted a massive three-year criminal and civil investigation targeting consultants, investment bankers, traders from hedge funds and mutual funds as well as analysts across the nation, the Wall Street Journal reported today.

Investigators are looking into whether multiple insider trading rings pulled in tens of millions of dollars in illegal profits, according to the paper.

Charges could be brought before the end of the year, according to people briefed on the matter.

The criminal probe is examining whether analysts and companies that provide "expert network" services passed on nonpublic information to mutual funds, according to the paper.

The investigators also are trying to determine if Goldman Sachs disclosed transactions, including health-care mergers, to help out certain investors. Goldman did not comment.

Last month, one of the principals at the research firm Broadband Research LLC sent an e-mail to about 20 hedge and mutual fund clients alerting them to a visit by the FBI, the Journal said.

"Today two fresh faced eager beavers from the FBI showed up unannounced (obviously) on my doorstep thoroughly convinced that my clients have been trading on copious inside information," the missive from John Kinnucan said. "(They obviously have been recording my cellphone conversations for quite some time, with what motivation I have no idea.) We obviously beg to differ, so have therefore declined the young gentleman's gracious offer to wear a wire and therefore ensnare you in their devious web."

Also a focus of the investigation is whether First New York Securities got insider information about health-care and technology mergers and profited unfairly, the report said. The firm said it "cooperated fully" with investigators.