On Monday, July 9, police officers in Cedar Falls, Iowa, wheeled up to a surreal scene: Russ Wasendorf Sr. had parked his silver Chevrolet Cavalier at the sleek, glass-encased headquarters of his commodity trading firm on the outskirts of the prosperous university town. Wasendorf, a prominent pillar of his community and his industry, had run a hose from the tailpipe into the car. Then he climbed inside. His suicide attempt came as regulators belatedly launched a search for some $200 million missing from his firm, Peregrine Financial Group, which also operated in the Chicago area, 275 miles east of Cedar Falls. Read Chicago Tribune report here.
