Wirestock/Getty Images A couple of former Volkswagen employees have been arrested for insider trading. Apparently, these goobers were placing bets ahead of their company's announcement of a $5 billion joint venture with Rivian. Believe it or not, that's illegal. 2026 has been a year to forget at Volkswagen. At best, it has been strange, and at worst, it has been downright bad. You can throw this latest news somewhere in the middle. Former VW engineers Michael Stamp and Michael Plant (real names, by the way) were indicted by federal prosecutors on July 24 for conspiracy to use confidential information they accessed through their jobs at Volkswagen about joint venture negotiations with Rivian, according to Bloomberg. They said Stamp made a cool quarter million dollars after Rivian's stock price jumped 23% following the announcement, and Pank made $50,000. The latter is also accused of giving information to a close family member who made a further $12,000. Volkswagen and Rivian officially announced their deal toward the end of June in 2024. It gave Rivian a huge financial lifeline at a time when it badly needed one. Hell, with the state Volkswagen is in now, it could probably use a lifeline itself. Think it through Khairil Azhar Junos/Shutterstock Stamp, 31, and Plank, 45, are both residents of San Jose, California, and have been charged with conspiracy and securities fraud. They both face as much as 25 years in prison if convicted of the most serious counts. That's a hell of a lot of time. Here's what Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton told Bloomberg about the situation: "When people misuse confidential information for their own financial gain, they undermine the principles that allow our markets to function fairly and efficiently. Insider trading is a crime that New Yorkers want pursued with vigor." I'm not going to sit here and tell you that you should insider trade. That's a bad idea, as evidenced by the time these jokers are facing, and I say that as someone who is somewhat privy to industry information before it's released to the public. However, if you are going to go the Stamp and Plant route and commit insider trading, perhaps cover your tracks a bit better and don't make it so goddamn obvious? Federal prosecutors said the duo's internet search history around the time of Rivian and Volkswagen's tie-up showed that they knew their conduct was illegal, according to Bloomberg. Stamp apparently searched for "statute of limitations insider trading" just eight days before the announcement, and Plank's family member searched in German "how is insider trading prosecuted?" after the deal was announced. It doesn't exactly sound like these guys were Jordan Belfort.