Little has been heard of La Jolla, California-based supercomputer development company Chopp Computer Corp since the company revealed back in November 1987 that it was strapped for cash and would have to delay launch of its Chopp-1, designed to deliver 10 to 100 times the performance of the Cray-1 (CI No 820) – and it may be some time before a jury award of $48.1m in the Superior Court of California at San Francisco does it any good, because the principal defendent is in gaol for unconnected offences. The award is the result of Chopp’s lengthy civil proceedings against that man, Alexander Laurins and Lawrence Merryman and numerous associated trusts and corporations controlled by them and their families. The verdict finds Laurins, Merryman and related companies guilty of defamation, violation of the Racketeering-Influenced and Corrupt Organisations act, abuse of process, and interference in economic prospects. Laurins was responsible for making numerous illegal short sales in Chopp while printing and distributing an unregistered investment newsletter that recommended the short sale of Chopp shares. Laurins failed to inform readers that he was the actual author of the newsletter and held a substantial short position in the shares.
