Judge throws out charges against Broadcom co-founder

Dec. 9, 2009 | By Susan Valot | KPCC
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In June 2008, the NHL indefinitely suspended Henry Samueli as owner of The Anaheim Ducks after he pleaded guilty to lying to U.S. securities regulators. He and his wife Susan became owners in 2005. On November 12, 2009, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman reinstated Henry Samueli as owner of the Anaheim Ducks.

A federal judge in Orange County today threw out criminal charges against the co-founder of semiconductor company Broadcom. It happened during the accounting fraud trial of a former Broadcom official.

Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli testified in the trial of the computer chip maker's former chief financial officer.

Two years ago, Samueli pleaded guilty to criminal charges that he had lied to the federal Securities and Exchange Commission about Broadcom’s back-dating stock options. Prosecutors granted him immunity for his testimony.

But in a Santa Ana courtroom this week, Samueli said he didn't know that the stock options he’d signed off on were illegal. He says no one had ever told him that. Samueli also said prosecutors had pressured him to cooperate.

US District Judge Cormac Carney set aside Samueli's guilty plea and dismissed the charges. Carney said he didn't believe Samueli had knowingly made false statements to federal regulators.

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