US narrow case against ex-McAfee lawyer

The Associated Press

Published: August 7, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO:
Federal prosecutors have narrowed their stock-option tampering case
against McAfee Inc.'s former top lawyer and dropped four of the
original seven felony charges against him, according to a new
indictment unsealed Wednesday.

Kent Roberts is still charged with illegally changing the dates of
stock options awarded to him in 2000 when the company was known as
Network Associates. The government dropped four other counts that had
charged him with changing the stock options grant date for the
company's chief executive officer.

Roberts pleaded not guilty last year to the original charges and is
expected to do the same when he is arraigned on the new indictment. His
trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 16.

Roberts remains accused of making an illegal profit of $197,600 by
having the stock options grant date changed. He is charged with one
count each of fraud, lying to the Securities and Exchange Commission
and falsifying corporate accounting documents.

If convicted of all charges, Roberts faces up to 20 years in prison
and a $5 million fine, the same maximum punishment he faced under the
original indictment.