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ATLANTA—Former Long Island businessman and fugitive Jacob Alexander is back in the US and in custody. WSHU, an NPR station serving Connecticut and New York, interviewed Womble Carlyle attorney John Despriet about the high-profile case.
Alexander spent the past 10 years on the run in Namibia following securities fraud charges related to his tenure as CEO of Comverse. He reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors to return to the US. He will be sentenced in December and faces up to 10 years in prison.
Despriet tells WSHU that when Alexander was charged in 2006, it was “a time of high enforcement activity because of Enron and WorldCom and all that that was going on.” He also said Alexander could have faced as much as 40 years in prison.
Click here to read “After Exile In Africa, Ex-Tech CEO Pleads Guilty To Fraud In N.Y.”
John Despriet has more than 30 years of experience in commercial litigation, principally in complex cases. Securities litigation, including class actions, merger challenges and ancillary proceedings, comprise the bulk of his practice. Despriet also has extensive experience in Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement proceedings, defense of derivative claims against officers and directors, FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority) arbitration, proxy fights and tender offers. He practices in Womble Carlyle’s Atlanta office.
