An assistant to a top executive at Walt Disney Co gave confidential information about Disney's quarterly earnings to a friend who in turn tried to sell it to hedge funds, US prosecutors said on Wednesday. The employee, Bonnie Hoxie, and her friend, Yonni Sebbag, otherwise known as Jonathan Cyrus according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, were arrested by FBI agents in Los Angeles.
They were both charged with conspiracy and wire fraud in allegations of illegal insider trading. Disney representatives were not immediately available to comment. A statement by the Manhattan US Attorney said that from March 2010 through May 25, 2010, Hoxie was employed as a secretary to Disney's Head of Corporate Communications.