SEC Charges Another AMS Co-Conspirator

by Steven Zeitchik, PW NewsLine -- Publishers Weekly, 3/3/2005

The civil investigation being conducted by the SEC has claimed another AMS employee. The government agency that earlier charged AMS ad director Marcy Roke for schemes to manipulate earnings has made the same charge against Sandra Miller Christie, the vp of advertising who worked with Roke. Those charges allege that both Roke and Miller Christie manipulated earnings between 9-19% over the last several years in advertising vehicles and through improper co-cop credits,

Miller Christie served in her position from 1997 all the way up until 2004, when both criminal and civil investigations of AMS were under way. Roke had previously pled guilty to criminal charges in the case but has not yet entered a plea on civil charges.

A third alleged co-conspirator, an AMS director of advertising for accounts, has not been charged, but SEC trial counsel Molly White said in an interview that "the case is ongoing. She attributed to the lag between the two charges as "a matter of procedure. Sometimes evidence is more clear against one person than another" and "it just takes time to develop."--Steven Zeitchik