Joseph Peter Nacchio (born June 22, 1949) is an American business executive known for his leadership in the telecommunications industry and subsequent legal troubles. He earned a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1973 and an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business in 1977. Nacchio began his career at AT&T, rising to vice president, before serving as chief financial officer at MCI Communications from 1992, where he played a key role in its merger with WorldCom. In 1997, he was appointed president and CEO of Qwest Communications International, becoming chairman in 2000, during a period of aggressive expansion in the telecom sector amid the dot-com boom. His tenure at Qwest was marked by rapid growth but also controversy, culminating in his 2002 resignation amid accounting scandals and SEC investigations. In 2005, he was charged with 42 counts of insider trading for selling over $50 million in Qwest stock while aware of the company's deteriorating financial health, leading to a conviction in 2007. He was sentenced to six years in prison (later reduced to two years on appeal), a $44 million fine, and forfeiture of $10 million in bonuses. Nacchio served his sentence from 2007 to 2009 and was released to a halfway house. During his trial, he claimed that Qwest was the only major telecom to refuse the NSA's post-9/11 requests for warrantless surveillance of customer data without legal authorization, an assertion supported by declassified documents in later years, highlighting tensions between corporate compliance and national security. Post-release, Nacchio has maintained a low profile but has been involved in business ventures, including investments in technology and real estate. His case remains a significant example in discussions of corporate governance, insider trading regulations, and the intersection of business with government surveillance programs. Critics have accused him of aggressive accounting practices that inflated Qwest's stock value, contributing to investor losses during the telecom bust.