Federal securities matters · Preparation guide
Insider Trading Investigations and Sentencing: A Dated Individual Record
Trading records and an information timeline answer different questions. Keep each grounded in sources, and leave legal conclusions about the conduct to counsel.
By Joseph De Gregorio · Federal Sentencing Strategist
Founder and President, Sentencing Advocacy Group
Published November 5, 2026
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Preserve transaction detail
Identify the account, security, order and execution dates, quantities and records available. Keep canceled orders, amended instructions and transfers visible where relevant to counsel’s collection plan. A summary should not silently replace a timestamp or collapse multiple trades into a single event. Preserve the original exports and record how a working summary was prepared.
Separate information access from recollection
A dated calendar entry, meeting invitation or document access record may establish something different from personal recollection. Identify the source of each statement and what it actually shows. Do not infer that receipt proves reading, or that attendance proves knowledge of every discussion. Counsel determines the legal significance of the evidence.
Map roles without harmonizing accounts
Record employment responsibilities, authorized access and changes in position. Do not contact others to align memories or create a common account. A factual gap should remain a gap until supported. SAG can organize approved background and role history without advising on trading-law elements, defenses or witness communications.
If sentencing becomes relevant
Keep gain or loss analysis supplied by counsel or experts separate from personal history and documented corrective work. The applicable sentencing framework must be assessed for the specific offense. A general fraud loss table should not be assumed to resolve every insider-trading calculation. Prepare accurate employment, financial, family and treatment records for the agreed stage.
Sources and the next preparation question
USSC: 2026 Guidelines Manual. Source checked November 5, 2026. Counsel evaluates the governing law and individual facts.
- SEC On-the-Record Testimony
- Finance Professionals Under Investigation
- Federal securities fraud sentencing
Does an unusual trade prove insider trading?
No conclusion about liability follows from a general description. Counsel must evaluate the full evidence and applicable law.
A defined preparation assignment
Work directly with Joseph to establish the scope, source records, authorized recipients and review dates. Agreed deliverables can include a personal-history chronology, an indexed supporting file, factual questions and a practical preparation schedule. Investigation-stage legal decisions require qualified federal defense counsel. An engagement with SAG does not automatically establish privilege.
SAG serves clients nationally from Freehold, New Jersey, with travel arranged for cases. Share your stage and next deadline in the initial inquiry. Do not upload investigative records, investor details or privileged advice.
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SAG is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or representation. Courts and agencies determine outcomes. No charging decision, sentence or release date is guaranteed.