DOW JONES NEWSWIRES 
 

National Lampoon Inc. (NLMP) Chief Executive Daniel Laikin was sentenced to 3 3/4 years in prison Wednesday for his part in a conspiracy to manipulate the company's stock price in 2008, said U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger in Philadelphia.

Laikin, 48, of Indianapolis and Los Angeles, also was fined $100,000, and still faces civil charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A year ago, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. As part of his plea, he admitted that he intended to cause between $2.5 million and $7 million in losses through a scheme in which he paid illegal kickbacks to a number of people to generate buying in National Lampoon stock.

The purchases were intended to make it look like there was significant investment interest in the stock so the public would buy shares and boost the stock price. Laikin planned to use the inflated stock to defraud business partners.

After the fraud was discovered, National Lampoon's stock was removed from the American Stock Exchange and its price sank.

-By Kathy Shwiff, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2357; Kathy.Shwiff@dowjones.com