By Associated Press
New York City, NY – Several hundred prospective jurors were quizzed Thursday as jury selection began in the trial of Adelphia Communications founder John Rigas and his two sons.
Rigas faces federal fraud charges along with his sons, Michael and Timothy, both former company executives, and Michael Mulcahey, the company's former director of internal reporting. All have pleaded innocent.
The Rigases are accused of conspiracy, securities fraud and bank fraud for allegedly scheming to steal hundreds of millions of dollars from the nation's sixth-largest cable company -- costing investors more than $60 billion.
Prosecutors said they looted the cable giant, drove it into bankruptcy and used it to hide more than $2 billion in debt from investors.
Potential jurors were asked whether they had heard, read or seen anything in the news media or on the Internet about the case. If they had, the questionnaire sought to learn whether they could ignore that and view the evidence with an open mind.
The prospective jurors were also asked if they had trained or worked in accounting, banking, bookkeeping, business management, investment banking, securities, financial planning and the cable television industry.
The questionnaire also sought to learn if any of them had ever been a victim of fraud, embezzlement, theft or misappropriation of funds.
Each person also was queried on whether he or she had any connection to more than 100 business entities ranging from banks and law firms to the National Hockey League and the Buffalo Sabres, which John Rigas owned until the NHL took control of the team.