Private pilot of Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis pleads guilty to insider trading in the US

The private pilot of billionaire former Tottenham Hotspur owner Joe Lewis faces possible jail time after pleading guilty to insider trading in the United States.

Patrick O’Connor, 67, admitted two counts of fraud yesterday during a court appearance in New York.

Lewis pleaded guilty to a single offense last month.

Lewis, 87, was arrested last year on allegations that between 2013 and 2021 he passed inside information to his contacts, who included his pilots and an ex-girlfriend, abusing his access to corporate boardrooms.

US Attorney Damian Williams said: ‘Patrick O’Connor was in the orbit of Lewis’s high-flying lifestyle and was a criminal beneficiary of non-public information provided by Lewis.

“O’Connor accepted and criminally traded on what he knew was inside information from his well-connected boss, for his personal benefit.”

O’Connor admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, which carries a sentence of up to five years, and a second count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. His sentencing is scheduled for May.