FBI Charges 30 Individuals for Insider Trading Tied to Law Firms

The FBI Boston Division charged 30 people on Wednesday in a decade-long insider trading ring. The defendants allegedly traded ahead of nearly 30 mergers and acquisitions (M&A) using confidential data stolen from leading US law firms.

Federal prosecutors say the scheme generated tens of millions of dollars in illicit profits. Trades were routed to overseas brokerage accounts in Russia, Israel, Panama, and Switzerland.

How the Alleged Insider Trading Ring Worked

Licensed corporate attorney Nicolo Nourafchan accessed his firm’s internal systems to view confidential deal documents, prosecutors allege.

He shared non-public material with co-conspirators, including attorney Robert Yadgarov.

Conspirators allegedly used burner phones, encrypted apps, and coded language to hide their communications. Some referred to deals as a sick rabbi awaiting surgery, prosecutors said in charging documents.

Brokerage accounts in shell companies and overseas jurisdictions helped move proceeds. Two defendants in Russia and Israel remain at large. Nineteen others arrested Wednesday face charges carrying a maximum of 25 years per count.

Part of a Broader Market Integrity Push

The case lands as US authorities continue widening insider trading enforcement beyond traditional equities. Federal prosecutors brought the first criminal crypto insider trading case in 2022.

“Anyone who engages in insider trading fundamentally undermines the trust necessary for our financial markets to function,” read an excerpt in the announcement, citing ted E. Docks, FBI Boston Special Agent in Charge.

Former Coinbase product manager Ishan Wahi pleaded guilty to tipping his brother on upcoming token listings. He was sentenced to 24 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit his cryptocurrency holdings.

The pattern shows regulators applying the same misappropriation theory across equities and digital assets. Material non-public information remains the central trigger, regardless of asset class.

Investigators continue to trace money through shell companies abroad as the case unfolds. The result could shape how regulators police professional gatekeepers across both traditional and crypto markets.

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