MANHATTAN, N.Y. (WKBW) — Former Congressman Chris Collins has pleaded guilty to insider trading charges.
Breaking: Chris Collins pleads guilty to 2 counts in his federal indictment: conspiring to commit securities fraud and making false statements.@WKBW
— Ali Touhey (@Ali2e) October 1, 2019
Collins appeared before a judge in Manhattan Tuesday. He pleaded guilty to making false statements and conspiring to commit securities fraud.
#BREAKING: Now-former Congressman Chris Collins arrives in federal court in Manhattan ahead of his guilty plea. pic.twitter.com/gSXnp1d4No
— 7 Eyewitness News (@WKBW) October 1, 2019
US Attorney Geoffrey Berman talked to reporters about the former Congressman. He says Collins acted as if the law didn't apply to him. You can watch the full interview below. '
Collins represented the 27th Congressional District. His resignationfrom Congress took affect Tuesday morning.
A complaint filed in the United States District Court, Southern District of New York by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accuses Chris Collins's son, Cameron Collins of selling large amounts of stock in Innate Immunotherapeutics, Ltd. before relevant information about a clinical trial was made public. Chris Collins is accused of giving his son the information.
Collins faces up to five years in prison for each count. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 17, 2020.
The former Congressman expressed confidence he would be exoneratedof charges of insider trading in September.
Collins was first elected to Congress in November 2012. He won re-election in November 2016 and again last November, despite facing federal charges in 2018.
