ACCESSING CLASSIFIED FILES
Decrypting documents...
Your connection is being monitored
Back to Individuals
high risk
Bruno Pletscher
Bank Leu VP and Key Cooperating Witness in the Dennis Levine Insider Trading Case
Vice President, Bank Leu (Nassau)
Overview
Bruno Pletscher was vice president and deputy manager of Bank Leu's Nassau, Bahamas branch. He had direct access to Dennis Levine's secret insider trading account and systematically piggybacked Levine's trades for his own personal profit. When the SEC began investigating suspicious trading patterns in 1985, Pletscher initially participated in a cover-up, forging documents to conceal the accounts. After retaining separate counsel, he became the first Bank Leu employee to cooperate with the SEC, providing crucial testimony that led directly to Levine's arrest in May 1986. His cooperation earned lenient treatment in the US but he was convicted of insider trading violations in Swiss proceedings.
Key Affiliations
Controversies & Concerns
Systematically piggybacked Dennis Levine's insider trades for personal profit through Bank Leu's Nassau office
Initially participated in cover-up efforts including forging documents to conceal Levine's trading accounts from SEC investigators
Became the key cooperating witness whose testimony led directly to Levine's arrest and the unraveling of the entire 1980s insider trading scandal
Related Investigations (1)
Criminal Charges & Violations
1 documented violations
Swiss Banking LawInsider trading violations in Swiss proceedings(International)
Known Associates & Connections
Dennis Levine
Levine held secret insider trading accounts at Pletscher's Bank Leu branch; Pletscher piggybacked his trades
Bernhard Meier
Fellow Bank Leu officer who also piggybacked Levine's trades
Sources & Documentation
1 documented sources from official records, investigations, and reports
Personal Information
- Born
- Unknown
- Birthplace
- Switzerland
Education
Key Timeline
1978-1986
Piggybacked Dennis Levine's insider trades through Bank Leu's Nassau office for personal profit
1985
SEC begins investigating suspicious trading patterns linked to Bank Leu; Pletscher initially participates in cover-up
1986-04
Breaks ranks and becomes key cooperating witness for the SEC; testimony leads to Levine's arrest the following month
1986-05-12
Dennis Levine arrested based partly on Pletscher's cooperation and testimony