Bristol-Myers Squibb
Read the following articles or other related articles regarding the Bristol-Myers case and then answer the questions below:
Sources:
Security and Exchange Commission, “$750 Million Distribution Begins for Bristol-Myers Fraud Victims,” June 8, 2006.
Gold, Jeffrey, “Bristol Myers Reaches $300 Million Settlement,” Yahoo! Finance, June 16, 2005.
Starkman, Dean, “Civil charges Follow Indictments in Bristol-Myers Case,” The Washington Post, August 23, 2005.
Masters, Brooke A., “Bristol-Myers Ousts Its Chief at Monitor’s Urging, The Washington Post, September 13, 2006.
Short Answer Questions
- By what percentage could Bristol Myers earnings have declined in 2002 as a result of the fraud?
- What was the first period that the SEC believed that Bristol Myers “stuffed the channels?”
- Was channel stuffing the only scheme perpetrated by Bristol Myers? If the answer is “no,” name one other scheme.
- What were the names of the marketing efforts that helped drive the need to channel stuff?
- How much was the fine in the deferred prosecution agreement?
- What was the total amount of fines and penalties levied against Bristol Myers?
Discussion Questions
- What makes channel stuffing illegal by comparison to a car dealership that runs “mega” end-of-year sales?
- Why are revenue recognition frauds such a frequent problem for the SEC?
- What red flag symptoms might revenue recognition create and how might one best discover a revenue recognition fraud?
Sample Solution