One of the founders of MarketWatch.com settled with the SEC charges that he "scalped" newsletter readers by selling out of positions he recently recommended, according to CNET. Thom Calandra agreed to pay $540,000 to settle civil fraud charges that he made at least $400,000 in illegal profits by pumping up thinly-traded stocks he owned. He also allegedly profited from his own positive reviews of two mining stocks he was offered at a discount. Last year, Calandra resigned from his columnist position at CBS MarketWatch because of the SEC probe.