* An equestrian estate in Laguna Hills, where Nicholas had constructed a series of tunnels and underground rooms, including one that contractors alleged was intended to become a "secret and convenient lair" to indulge his "manic obsession with prostitutes."
* A warehouse-office complex in nearby Laguna Niguel, which contractors said was used for sex and drugs and nicknamed "The Ponderosa."
* A Newport Coast residence where Nicholas was trying to start a record company and where rock groups frequently visited.
In a 2006 lawsuit seeking back wages, former Nicholas aide Kenji Kato contended that this home also was the scene of frequent drug use and other sordid behavior.
"The allegations of our complaint seem to be validated by the indictment -- both indictments," said Joseph Kar, the attorney for Kato, whose lawsuit is pending in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The indictments illustrate that Nicholas used his businesses and employees "to protect himself and to carry out his personal whims," Kar said. "The long and short of it is his personal whims were illegal."
The stock option allegations outlined in the indictment were similar to the SEC lawsuit last month that accused Nicholas, Ruehle, Samueli and the company's former general counsel, David Dull, of backdating stock options.
Samueli and Dull were not named in the indictment unsealed Thursday, although the government could still seek to charge them later.
Samueli, a prominent philanthropist, was Nicholas' engineering professor at UCLA.
Nicholas quit the company in 2003, saying he wanted to spend time trying to repair his marriage, which later fell apart.
Although Samueli stepped down from his executive role at Broadcom when the SEC lawsuit was filed, he remains at the company in an advisory capacity.
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scott.reckard@latimes.com
kim.christensen@latimes.com
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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)
Among the allegations
Federal grand jury indictments unsealed Thursday allege that Broadcom Corp. co-founder Henry T. Nicholas III:
* "Spiked the drinks of others with MDMA (ecstasy) without their knowledge, including . . . the drinks of technology executives and representatives who worked for Broadcom's customers."
* "Hired prostitutes and escorts for himself and customers, representatives and associates of Broadcom and other business entities with which he was affiliated and supplied such prostitutes and escorts with controlled substances."
