FBI investigating potential insider trading in Heinz shares

Heinz dealings under scrutiny: Traders work at the H.J. Heinz Co. post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The FBI says it is looking into possible insider trading in Heinz shares just before a takeover announcement last week. IMAGE

Reuters Photo: File. Heinz dealings under scrutiny: Traders work at the H.J. Heinz Co. post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. The FBI says it is looking into possible insider trading in Heinz shares just before a takeover announcement last week. IMAGE

2/19/13

Heinz on Thursday announced a deal to be acquired for $23 billion by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Brazil's 3G Capital.

Traders work at the post that trades H.J. Heinz Co. on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange

NEW YORK — The FBI said Tuesday that it had opened an investigation into potential insider trading in shares of H.J. Heinz Co. just before a takeover announcement last week.

The announcement follows the Securities and Exchange Commission's decision to freeze assets connected to a Swiss trading account from which the alleged insider trades were made.

"The FBI is aware of the trading anomalies the day before Heinz's announcement," a spokesman said. "The FBI is consulting with the SEC to determine if a crime was committed."

Heinz on Thursday announced a deal to be acquired for $23 billion by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and Brazil's 3G Capital.

Reporting By Emily Flitter

—

MSN News on Facebook and Twitter

Stay up to date on breaking news and current events.

Friend us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/news.msn

O.J. Simpson was back in court recently to try to overturn a 2008 armed robbery conviction. Here are other famous people who have spent time behind bars.