Sam Israel presided over the spectacular $40 million flame-out of the now defunct hedge fund, Bayou Group. Bayou was the hedge fund fraud and failure that really put the subject on the front page - not just the business pages. This week Israel got his comeuppance - a sentence of 20 years and an order to forfeit $300 million to compensate his former investors for their losses.

Now if Israel had that kind of money at hand, doubtless Bayou would still be in business, so who knows whether those bilked by Bayou have any realistic chance of reclaiming their money. Still, the knowledge that Israel (and his previously convicted Bayou co-horts) will be spending a significant number of years behind bars might provide some small solace.

Or not...

-- MDT

Labels: Bayou Group, Fraud, hedge fund, James Marquez, Sam Israel