Ex-Pru broker gets 2 months for fraudulent trading

A former broker at Prudential Securities Inc. charged with fraudulently trading mutual funds for millions of dollars in commissions has been sentenced to two months in a halfway house.

A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday also sentenced Justin Ficken to two years of probation. He pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy, wire fraud, and securities fraud.

Prosecutors say the 34-year-old Ficken was part of a group of brokers working for Prudential in 2001 who made market timing trades — quick in-and-out trading to exploit price — using fake identities and account names.

The senior broker in the ring, Martin Druffner, had previously been sentenced to six months in a halfway house and three years of probation. Another broker, Skifter Ajro, had received two years of probation.