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Financial In Market A former top executive of Qwest Communications International Inc on Wednesday pleaded guilty to wire fraud, avoiding a five-week trial that had been set to start on Tuesday.

Brown was one of 15 former HealthSouth executives who pleaded guilty to a variety of fraud charges after it was discovered that the company had been reporting inflated earnings for years. Forensic accountants working for HealthSouth's new management put the extent of the fraud at nearly $4 billion. Former HealthSouth Chief Executive Richard Scrushy, who had been accused of directing the fraud, in June was found not guilty of all charges by a Birmingham jury even though five former finance chiefs testified that he was aware of and involved in the bogus accounting.

Oriental Trading Former Qwest executive vice president Marc Weisberg, 48, is among seven former Qwest executives charged criminally since 2003 as part of a three-year probe by federal prosecutors in Denver, which led to the indictment last week of Qwest chief executive Joseph Nacchio for insider trading.

After pleading guilty to two counts of copyright infringement and three counts of mail fraud, month sentence with three years of supervised release on software pirate Sean Michael Breen.

Financial Forex Forex Software Weisberg entered his plea in U.S. District Court as part of a plea bargain in which he agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and may serve as a witness in the case involving his former boss, Nacchio, who pleaded innocent. Nacchio is the only former Qwest executive remaining to go on trial.

- Gilbert Jackson, 51, of New Orleans, was sentenced to 82 months imprisonment Dec. 12, 2005, following his convictions in Cleveland for racketeering and conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud violations. Jackson was also ordered to pay $100, 000 restitution to the City of Cleveland. On Jan. 4, 2006, Jackson pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana and could face an additional five years imprisonment for this conviction.

Trading U.S. Attorney Bill Leone declined to comment on whether Weisberg was helping prosecutors in their case against Nacchio.

(AXcess News) Floyd Gary Thacker, 50, of Atlanta, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in honest services mail and wire fraud before U.S. District Judge David Hittner in the Southern District of Texas, Assistant Attorney General Alice Fisher of the Justice Department's Criminal Division announced today. Thacker is the owner of Thacker Operating Company, related services for municipal governments in Houston and Atlanta.

Trading Financial System But former state prosecutor and legal analyst Craig Silverman said he believed Weisberg may be helpful.

You be the judge. First, look at the company he keeps. Kevin Trudeau is not just a marketer; he's a convicted felon. card fraud. He also pleaded guilty to state charges for depositing $80, 000 in worthless checks at a bank in Massachusetts. And in 1998 he paid $500, 000 in a consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for making false advertising claims in infomercials.

Day Trading "(He) may have been in a position to know a lot of important things about how the higher-ups operated at Qwest,'' he said.

Forex Financial Trading The Weisberg, who is to be sentenced March 3, faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, but prosecutors agreed to recommend he serve no prison time in exchange for his cooperation.

Fortune Make Option Trading As part of the plea deal, prosecutors recommended that Weisberg serve 60 days in home detention and pay a $250,000 fine.

Science Of Financial Market U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn told Weisberg in Wednesday's court proceeding that he will be able to withdraw his plea if the judge does not accept the penalty recommendation.

Future Trading Blackburn asked Weisberg if he did the things the plea agreement described as his crime.

Financial Sales Services "I did, your honor,'' Weisberg replied.

Commodity Trading A February 17 indictment of Weisberg accused him of abusing his position by obtaining investment opportunities in technology companies for himself at the peak of the boom in those stocks starting in 1999.

Financial Services Trading Weisberg oversaw corporate investments for Qwest.

Online Forex Trading He allegedly took shares in Qwest vendor companies offered before their initial public offerings at the expense of Qwest and its shareholders and without the companies' knowledge.

Financial Portfolio Trade He made personal profits of nearly $3 million, prosecutors said.

Sierra Trading Post He pleaded guilty to one of 12 counts in the indictment and prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining 11 counts.

Trading Financial Future Weisberg had no comment as he hurried past reporters in a courthouse corridor. One of his attorneys said a statement might be issued Wednesday afternoon.

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