Having begun a formal probe by the SEC in 2007, a federal grand jury has indicted Bruce Karatz. The 20-count indictment included seven counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud, three counts of securities fraud, four counts of lying in statements to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and one count of lying to KB Home’s accountants.
Well…with all those indictments, if found guilty on all charges, Mr. Karatz could face up to 415 years in prison. Seems like the alleged frauds are getting larger as are the potential sentences.
Reported by the Dallas Business Journal:
Los Angeles-based KB Home was the 21st-largest home builder in North Texas in 2008, with 239 housing starts, according to DBJ research.
The company started 513 North Texas homes in 2007, and 1,216 in 2006.
Karatz, 63, is alleged to have backdated stock options over seven years, awarding himself and others millions in stock-based compensation. Karatz resigned from KB Home (NYSE: KBH) in November 2006 under pressure in the wake of an options inquiry. Other top KB executives forced out were Richard B. Hirst, executive vice president and chief legal officer, and Gary A. Ray, the head of human resources.
The Los Angeles Times reports: “Karatz, 63, served as chairman and chief executive of Westwood-based KB Home from 1986 to 2006, when he resigned under fire. Over a three-year period ending in 2005, Karatz garnered more than $232 million in compensation.”
The Times further reports:
The indictment does not say exactly how much Karatz gained as a result, but KB Home required Karatz to pay back $13 million in backdating gains when he left the company in 2006. And the SEC agreed to a settlement of $7.2 million with Karatz in 2008 to cover what it reckoned were his gains.
Karatz has long been a target of shareholder activists and labor unions, who accused him of taking more than his fair share of company profit. In 2005, the year before he stepped down, Karatz had take-home pay of $6.3 million, but he received an additional $150 million, mostly from exercising stock options.
As a business ethics speaker, it is clear that transparency is the order of the day. Long gone are the days (or at least they should be gone) when corporate compensation is a behind closed door discussion. I am certainly open to executive compensation that is fair and rewards those in leadership for outstanding performance. However, any person in executive leadership in a public company must be alert to the consequences of the choices they make.
Every choice has a conseqence. Bruce Karatz has been dealing with the consequences of his leadership at KB Home for the past several years. It would appear that, if convicted, he will have many years ahead to review his leadership choices.
If you worked for KB Homes and have an opinion on Mr. Karatz’s leadership feel free to comment!
Posted by chuckgallagher 
Motivational Speaker - Chuck Gallagher Business Ethics and Choices Expert 