Good morning, traders…

Ben here.

Today, I’m gonna tell you three true stories where greed, secrets, and betrayal collided to create some of the most infamous trading scandals in recent history.

From a high-powered lawyer running an elaborate scheme, to a casual conversation that sparked a chain reaction of illegal trades, to a father and son whose family bond unraveled under the weight of their crimes — these wild tales must be heard to be believed. 

All three of these people used illegal insider information to make millions in the stock market. 

But like most insider traders, they were eventually caught, and their lives were turned upside down.

Their decisions cost them millions in fines (and years in prison), while leaving trails of broken trust and shattered relationships.

What began as whispered conversations, casual tips, and ill-fated family secrets turned into cautionary tales of how even the smallest slip can lead to the biggest consequences.

And while these stories end in downfall, they teach an important lesson: there are incredible gains to be made by tracking Smart Money moves, but you have to do it the right way…

Now, let me tell you three stories of crazy insider trading scandals. That way, you can see the power of Smart Money trading — and use my tools to do it 100% legally.

The Lawyer Who Broke the Law

Matthew Kluger had it all: a high-profile legal career at a prestigious firm, with access to the inner workings of major corporate deals. 

But for Kluger, simply being part of the machine wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

Kluger’s role as a mergers and acquisitions attorney gave him access to non-public information about companies planning to merge or acquire others. 

And rather than keeping this information confidential, Kluger decided to profit from it.

He teamed up with Garrett Bauer, a professional trader, and a middleman. Kluger leaked insider tips to the middleman, who passed them to Bauer. 

Bauer traded on the information, raking in millions in profits, and then funneled a portion back to Kluger through cash handoffs.

The trio believed they had perfected their system. They used burner phones, kept their communication cryptic, and avoided massive trades that might raise red flags. 

But it wasn’t long before Bauer’s frequent trades began to catch the attention of regulators…

By the time the SEC started investigating, Kluger had tipped Bauer about at least 30 corporate deals over 17 years, generating over $32 million in profits. When the authorities closed in, the middleman flipped, providing evidence that implicated Kluger and Bauer.

In 2012, Kluger was sentenced to 12 years in prison — one of the longest insider trading sentences ever handed down. Bauer, who cooperated with investigators, received nine years. 

The Brother-in-Law “Stock Tip Slip”

Some insider trading scandals start with a leak so small, it barely seems significant. 

That’s how it began for Thomas Conradt, a lawyer, and his brother-in-law, David Weishaus…

In 2009, Conradt overheard a conversation between two friends, one of whom worked at a financial institution involved in IBM’s acquisition of SPSS Inc. 

He knew the yet-to-be-announced deal would send SPSS’s share price soaring.

Conradt couldn’t resist. He bought SPSS shares and tipped off Weishaus. The information spread through a small group of friends, each of whom began trading on the tip.

Initially, the group was careful, keeping their trades small to avoid attention. But loose lips soon sank their ship as one of the friends bragged about the trades during a casual conversation, leading to a full-blown SEC investigation.

In 2013, Conradt and others involved were charged with insider trading. Conradt admitted his role and cooperated with prosecutors. 

His cooperation earned him a relatively light sentence, but the scandal cost him his legal career and reputation.

The Father-Son Trading Scandal

For Sean Stewart, insider trading wasn’t a solo mission. It was, quite literally, a family affair. 

Stewart was an investment banker with access to sensitive information about mergers and acquisitions. 

But instead of keeping that information under wraps, he shared it with his father, Robert Stewart…

The arrangement seemed innocent at first. Robert wasn’t a big-time trader — just a retired executive looking to make some extra money. 

Sean would casually mention upcoming deals during family visits, and Robert would make small trades based on the tips.

But Robert couldn’t keep the secret to himself. He shared the information with a family friend, who also started trading. As the profits grew, so did the paper trail, and eventually, the SEC took notice.

Sean’s defense was that he never explicitly told his father to trade on the information. But the evidence painted a different picture…

Investigators found Sean had shared details of at least five mergers, and Robert had acted on all of them.

The family friend eventually turned informant, providing crucial evidence against the Stewarts. 

Sean was convicted of insider trading in 2016 and sentenced to over three years in prison. His father cooperated with prosecutors and received a lighter sentence, but the scandal left their family fractured and destitute. 

Why These Stories Matter

You might be wondering why I’m telling you these stories today…

It’s simple. They illustrate the unstoppable power of Smart Money trading.

These poor souls went to unbelievable lengths — felony crimes — to trade on Smart Money information. 

That’s because trading with insider information provides such an undeniable edge for traders that the government has made it illegal.

But with my trading tools, you don’t have to worry about any of that…

By using my SPYDER Scanner and APEX Scanner, you can get tipped off to the biggest bets on Wall Street without breaking the law.

There’s no need for shady deals or insider tips — just disciplined entries and exits from following the Smart Money legally. 

I couldn’t have achieved this 2024 track record if it wasn’t for Smart Money data:

369 Trades

312 Wins*

56 Losses

1 Breakeven

Win Rate = 84.6%*

Average Gain of Winning Trades = 88%*

With that in mind, let’s look at:

💰The Biggest Smart Money Bets of the Day💰

• $9 million bullish bet on MRNA 03/21/2025 $50 calls @ $5.96 avg. (seen on 1/7)

• $6.4 million bullish bet on UBER 06/20/2025 $70 calls @ $6.95 avg. (seen on 1/7)

• $1.35 million bullish bet on GOOG 05/10/2025 $162.50 calls @ $3.85 avg. (seen on 3/26)

Happy trading,

Ben Sturgill

P.S. If you want to start getting in on these Smart Money trades before they take off…

Join the great Danny Phee this FRIDAY, January 10 at 3 p.m. EST for a very special Smart Money Workshop.

Seats are running out fast — Click here to sign up before your spot disappears.

*Past performance does not indicate future results