An Insider Trading Crackdown Begins to Snare Top Execs (Exclusive)

U.S. authorities are cracking down on abuses of stock plans for top corporate executives. After years of lax enforcement, they are tightening up a program intended to prevent high-level insider trading.

The Justice Department has already charged one senior healthcare executive with criminal insider trading and the Securities and Exchange Commission, led by Chair Gary Gensler, has settled civil charges against two technology executives over misuse of the program.

In securities filings, some companies have disclosed receiving DOJ and SEC subpoenas for evidence in ongoing investigations, and officials...