The government agreed to defer prosecution of AOL for 24 months

[donsu]

http://www.computerworld.com/governmenttopics/government/legalissues/story/0,10801,98302,00.html


Time Warner settles AOL fraud charges for $210M
The government agreed to defer prosecution of AOL for 24 months


Media company Time Warner Inc. has agreed to pay the U.S. government $210 million to settle charges that its America Online unit fraudulently inflated its revenue figures, court documents showed.

Separately, Time Warner is expected to pay about $300 million to settle civil charges by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission related to its buyout of a stake held by Germany's Bertelsmann AG in AOL Europe, a source familiar with the matter said. The company has already set up a reserve to cover the anticipated costs of the settlements.

The $210 million payment is part of a deal to settle criminal charges of aiding and abetting securities fraud. Also in the agreement, filed in a federal court in Virginia, AOL accepted responsibility for conduct of its employees that led to the criminal violations and agreed to cooperate fully with the U.S. Department of Justice in its investigation of those people.

In exchange, the government agreed to defer prosecution of the company for 24 months, when it will dismiss charges if AOL follows the terms of the deal.
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america is a crime scene

[Trillo]

1. I wonder if this deferment was facilitated

by AOLs new copyright "rules" for users of their Instant Messenger.

[Melodybe]

2. AOL/Time/Warner is owned by the Saudis what should we expect?