Miami, FL – A Parkland man has been sentenced to 13 months in prison and fined $10,000 for his involvement in an insider trading scheme that generated over $1.6 million in profits. Stephen George, 54, was also ordered to pay more than $200,000 in restitution and forfeit over $1.6 million.
From November 2018 to April 2023, George worked in the Finance Department of a consumer-packaged goods company based in Boca Raton, Florida, known for its fitness drink, which is publicly traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market. During his tenure, he held positions such as controller and vice president, granting him access to material non-public information (MNPI) about the company’s financial performance.
On his last day at the company, April 7, 2023, George created a consolidated income statement revealing the first quarter of 2023 results, which exceeded expectations. He then emailed this document to himself using personal email accounts. On April 10, 2023, the first trading day after his departure, George began purchasing the company’s securities using this insider information. He acquired 20,000 shares of common stock and 300 call option contracts.
Following the company’s public announcement on May 9, 2023, of its better-than-expected earnings and record quarterly revenue, the stock price surged. George sold all his holdings the next day, realizing over $1.6 million in profits.
In February 2025, George pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud. The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, along with officials from the Justice Department and the FBI’s Miami Field Office.
The FBI’s Miami Field Office conducted the investigation, with the Justice Department acknowledging assistance from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s Criminal Prosecution Assistance Group. The prosecution was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli S. Rubin and Elizabeth Young, along with Trial Attorneys Matthew F. Sullivan and Matt Kahn from the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. Asset forfeiture was managed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff.
