Brick-Toting Boilermaker Beats Putnam Whistle Blower

A union boilermaker smashed a brick into the head of a Putnam Investments phone operator earlier this year, worried that the man was about to report the union’s questionable stock-trading practices to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The New York Daily News reported over the weekend that last Feb. 2, Peter Scannell was attacked after the union found out that he was tracking their suspicious trades, ones that violated company bylaws.

The alleged assailant entered the office with his Boilermakers Local 5 sweatshirt and a New York Yankees cap, and promptly knocked the man unconscious with the brick while yelling, "Shut the f--- up!"

Despite the threatening actions and words, Scannell went ahead with a complaint to the SEC about the trades, and when it went unanswered, he brought it to the Massachusetts Securities Division, which has since investigated Putnam. The company recently fired four employees for unacceptable trading practices, including ones that worked in the Massachusetts office – those illegal trades took place in 2000.

In 30 months using market timing, the union had made $2 million profit, the Daily News’ article reported. Nobody has been arrested in the attack of Scannell.

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Money Management Executive
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