Source: United States Department of Justice News
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that David Roda, 36, of Philadelphia, PA, was charged by Criminal Information with insider trading.
The defendant was an employee of Penn Interactive, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Penn National Gaming, Inc., and served as its Director of Backend Architecture. The Information alleges that in this capacity, Roda learned in early July 2021 that Penn National was considering a potential acquisition of Score Media and Gaming, Inc., and knew that he had a duty to keep this information confidential. Nonetheless, on July 22, 2021, using this material, non-public information, Roda purchased 200 Score Media call option contracts for approximately $13,000. Moreover, after a senior officer at Penn Interactive informed Roda in August 2021 that the acquisition would be announced within days, Roda allegedly purchased 300 more Score Media call option contracts for approximately $7,000. The following day, Penn National announced its agreement to acquire Score Media, and Score Media’s stock price rose drastically. The defendant then closed out his Score Media call option contracts for approximately $580,000, netting personal profits of approximately $560,000.
“Insider trading undermines faith in our financial markets and harms ordinary investors who play by the rules,” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “As alleged, David Roda placed himself above the law by using information to which he had privileged access to cheat the market and other investors. Our Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to maintain the integrity of the financial markets.”
“David Roda allegedly traded on material, non-public information and made out like a bandit,” said Jacqueline Maguire, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Insider trading like that is patently unfair to investors and a direct threat to the integrity of our financial markets. The FBI takes this crime seriously, and if you decide the risk of such illegal behavior is worth the potential reward, know that we will investigate and ensure you’re held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick J. Murray. The parallel civil enforcement proceeding was filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office, under the direction of Norman Ostrove.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.