Prosecutors unsealed indictments against former Broadcom CEO Henry T. Nicholas III and CFO William J. Ruehle on charges of stock options backdating, along with allegations that Nicholas spiked the drinks of technology executives with ecstasy and organized a lavish drug party at a warehouse.
Nicholas allegedly hid the stock options backdating by signing false documents. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed charges against Nicholas, Ruehle and two other Broadcom executives last month (see
The indictments also accused Nicholas of owning properties that were used to distribute drugs and of hiring escorts and supplying them with drugs. He also was accused of threatening and bribing people to conceal his conduct, and of smoking so much marijuana on a private airplane that the pilot had to wear an oxygen mask.
"Dr. Nicholas will contest these charges vigorously," said Nicholas's lawyer, Brendan V. Sullivan, in a statement quoted by The New York Times. "He is confident that he will be vindicated."
