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Empresas y finanzas

SEC proposes suit vs Countrywide founder Mozilo


    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. regulators have recommended filing a civil fraud suit against Countrywide Financial co-founder Angelo Mozilo for insider trading, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

    Staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission had decided to recommend filing the suit against Mozilo, who co-founded the No. 1 U.S. home-mortgage lender taken over by Bank of America Corp , the Journal cited people familiar with the investigation as saying.

    According to the Journal, the SEC sent a "Wells" notice to Mozilo weeks ago alerting him of the planned charges, which included alleged violations of insider-trading laws, as well as failing to disclose material information to shareholders.

    Bank of America last month dropped the Countrywide name from its mortgage operations, shedding a 40-year-old brand that became synonymous with risky lending practices that helped fuel a U.S. housing boom and bust.

    A Wells notice is a precursor to a civil lawsuit in an SEC investigation. It outlines to an individual or company under investigation what allegations might be filed against them and gives a target a chance to respond to the allegations.

    A civil suit against Mozilo, if his lawyers fail to deflect it and SEC commissioners approve a filing, may be announced in coming weeks, the Journal cited unidentified sources as saying.

    Lawyers for Mozilo -- the target of much criticism in the past over his generous compensation packages -- and the Commission were not immediately available for comment.

    Founded in 1969, Countrywide -- blasted for offering loans to would-be homeowners who could scarcely afford them -- already faces a string of lawsuits over past business practices, as well as an FBI investigation.

    The SEC had been investigating Mozilo's systematic sales of the lender's stock, which began shortly before the housing crisis began. He had received several hundred million dollars of compensation for running Countrywide this decade.

    In 2007, Mozilo told a conference call he had engaged in no trading decisions based on any material non-public information and said he welcomed the SEC's informal inquiry into his activities.

    Bank of America acquired Countrywide last July for $2.5 billion.

    (Reporting by Gina Keating; Editing by Edwin Chan and Andre Grenon)