FRANKEL BACK ON HOME TURF

Martin Frankel, the rogue financier who led the world on a massive manhunt in 1999, was returned to the United States after being extradited from Germany. He appeared March 4 in federal court in New Haven, Conn., to face charges of securities fraud, wire fraud, racketeering and racketeering conspiracy. Frankel has been in Germany since September 1999, where he was sentenced to three years in prison for tax evasion and possession of nine passports. According to an Associated Press report, Frankel tried to escape from his German prison cell by sawing through the bars, but was caught in the attempt and moved to another facility. U.S. regulators from five different states are seeking damages in excess of $600 million on charges that he defrauded several insurance companies of at least $200 million.