Ex-Barclays traders sentenced to years in prison for Libor-rigging

Reuters

Published Jul 07, 2016 09:46AM ET

Ex-Barclays traders sentenced to years in prison for Libor-rigging

LONDON (Reuters) - Four former Barclays (L:BARC) bankers were sentenced to between 33 months and six-and-a-half years in jail by a London judge on Thursday for conspiring to fraudulently rig global benchmark interest rates.

Calcutta-born Jay Merchant, 45, the most senior of the men to face a jury the case, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years. The New York-based former derivatives trader was convicted unanimously.

Merchant's junior, 38-year-old American Alex Pabon, was sentenced to two years and nine months and junior British Libor submitter Jonathan Mathew, 35, was handed a four-year sentence. Both men were convicted by majority verdict.

Mathew's former boss, 61-year-old Peter Johnson, a 35-year Barclays veteran, was sentenced to four years. The former senior dollar Libor submitter and head dollar cash trader pleaded guilty in October 2014 and did not stand trial.

Judge Anthony Leonard said the men would serve half their sentences in prison and then be released on license.

"What this case has shown is the absence of integrity that ought to characterize banking," said Leonard.