Fraud Trial Starts for Adelphia Founder, Sons

Opening statements are expected today in the fraud trial against Adelphia Communications Corp. founder John Rigas and two of his sons.

A jury of three men and nine women was chosen last week. The trial is expected to last three months.

The Rigases are accused of using the company as their “personal piggy bank.”

John Rigas, 79, said last week that it had been “two hard years” waiting to reach trial so he could go about “seeing if we can get our life back.”

Rigas and his sons, Michael and Timothy, both former company executives, and another former Adelphia executive, Michael Mulcahey, have pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy, securities fraud and bank fraud.