Commodities Trader Arrested for Threatening to Kill Federal Regulators

Former New York commodities trader Vincent McCrudden was charged in federal court this week with threatening to kill 47 current and former federal regulators from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and other agencies.

McCrudden allegedly started sending threatening emails and issuing threats on his website after regulators launched a civil enforcement suit against him in December of 2010.

On one of those website pages, the defendant invited others to “[g]o buy a gun” and take back the country and stated that he would be the first one to lead by example. On another page on his website, the defendant included an “Execution List” with the names of 47 current and former officials of the SEC, FINRA, NFA, and CFTC. That list included the chairperson of the SEC, the chairman of the CFTC, a former acting chairman and commissioner of the CFTC, the chairman and CEO of FINRA, the former chief of enforcement at FINRA, and other employees of the NFA and CFTC. The defendant wrote that “[t]hese people have got to go. And I need your help, there are just too many for me alone.” [FBI Press release, emphasis added.]

McCrudden faces a maximum of 5 years in prison for each of the two counts against him.

[Photo credit: Vectorportal, Creative Commons.]