The Denouement: Three Years, At Least -- For Insider Trading. A Sad Chapter, Closed.

We have covered these narrative lines, for going on five years -- the various insiders caught trading at or around the time of the merger.

Back in February of 2015, we reported that a plea deal was in the works, for the last defendant. It is now final -- and will result in at least three years of jail time. The bit -- from Bloomberg, here:

. . . .A former Merck & Co. analyst was sentenced to three years and a month in prison for passing merger tips to an ex-business school classmate who worked at Bank of New York Mellon Corp. . . .

To be clear, as ever, 99.99 per cent of all those working at Merck are able, honest and above reproach. It is always just one or two bad apples, in the proverbial Fall bobbing-barrel. Enjoyin' all the magnificent fall foliage, now. . . Out!